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EIGHT DAYS OUT 



BY 



M. A. 



fUjL^yiM^ -, 7)^e>^/^^<^ GJmsu^ 



^^£^' 



CHICAGO 
CHARLES H. KERR & COMPANY 
175 Monroe Street 
1895 




Copyright 1894, ty 

M. A. Richardson 






F5I/ 



PREFACE 

This book was not written at the suggestion of 
many friends, who were longing for a few Hnes of 
my composition, neither was it done with the ex- 
pectation that I could give a better description of 
what I have seen or heard than the reader could 
give, but was done to pass time pleasantly. 

The eight days I was out I took note of such 
scenery as was interesting to me, also of what 
happened, whether I saw or heard it, and give it 
without any attempt to follow the usual mode of 
similar narrations. Much of the gorgeous display 
which I came in contact with I pass unrr.entioned, 
for, to me, it was not interesting, while I have dwelt 
on some subjects which will doubtless be tiresome 
to others. 

I found on this trip, as I have experienced all my 
life, that the most interesting people are the quiet 
ones, whom it is not easy to engage in conversa- 

3 



4 PREFACE 

tion. A talkative person is like a public convey- 
ance, which, even if on a g^rand scale, is not de- 
sirable, because it is common. Probably my in- 
genuity, if I have any, is better adapted to one 
particular mode of writing than any other, but as 
I don't know which that is I have attempted 
whatever came before me, the tragical, de- 
scriptive, humorous, sentimental, and have even 
attempted to tell a yarn, which I hope none of my 
mutual friends will insinuate is not my first at- 
tempt. 

The obvious fact, that we all view subjects from 
different standpoints, gives rise to a diversity cf 
opinions, but if we all thought alike this world 
would be the abode of nonchalant drones. So 
let us respect the views of others and not attempt 
to enforce our own, ever remembering that char- 
ity, like a soft ray of sunshine in the gloom, is never 
unwelcome, but often changes a wayward course 
to one of usefulness. 



CONTENTS 



Page 

Philip and his Baggage 7 

She HAD Danced With Jesse James 16 

Mackinac Island 34 

Philip Throws Up 50 

Captain Green's Unvarnished Tale 58 

Sault Ste. Marie, or the "Soo" ,., 77 

Philip jumps from the Frying Pan into the 

FIRE 87 

Encounter with a Bear 94 

Philip Gets Left ^^7 

Voyage Through Eternity. Among Other 

worlds ^^7 

Inhabitants of a Strange World 14*^ 



EIGHT DAYS OUT 



PHILIP AND HIS BAGGAGE 



"Precisely so," said Philip Parkins, as we up- 
braided him for being late. "I know, gentlemen, 
that it was a close call, and had I not been a close 
calculator I would have been left. Really I have 
had my hands full since last Wednesday morning, 
when I decided to accompany you on this trip to 
Mackinac Island and the *Soo. ' I can assure you 
that I was up all night packing my trunks, and had 
everything ready at 8 o'clock, but the expressman 
was nearly half an hour late, and when I told him 
we had to make the Rush Street Bridge Dock be- 
fore 9 o'clock he shrugged his shoulders and said: 
" 'Kaunt be did fur love nur money, Mister.' 
" 'Can't do it?' said I. 'Why, it's only three miles, 
and you have nearly half an hour; grab hold and 
load them in.' But he didn't budge. 

7 



8 EIGHT D/lYS OUT 

" 'Oss flesh is mighty sca'ce,' he said, *and you 
'ave a truck load here. If you spect me to race my 
hanimalto land you and your load of trumpery for 
'alf a dollar, you've figured wrong.' 

" 'Make it a dollar, then,' said I, 'only get them 
in quickly.' 

" *Naw,' said he, 'make it three, and pay me 
before I start, or I don't titch them.' And that 
was what made us come with such a rush." 

"But, Philip," said I, "what upon earth are 
you doing with so much baggage.? Sam, Billy 
and myself, have only a small grip-sack each; 
you know we are out only for a week." 

"Precisely so, Mr. R — ; you may be so con- 
stituted as to make yourself happy wherever 
you are dropped, regardless of surrounding cir- 
cumstances. If you have no clean shirt I sup- 
pose that you are thankful that you have a soiled 
one, but, unfortunately, I am not put up in that 
way. I must have things comfortable or I get ner- 
vous, so I have brought along everything needful, 
not forgetting my pocketbook. This is my first 
outing, so after figuring the expense in a liberal 
way, I slipped an extra one hundred dollars in 
my pocket, that I might not be a burden on your 
hands; at least in that direction." 



PHILIP AND HIS BAGGAGE 9 

As the beautiful steamer "Manitou" moved away 
from the wharf, Philip looked back towards the 
landing with an eager, worried expression, fearing 
he had either lost a package, or forgotten some- 
thing which would have been very essential. 

Half a dozen men and boys were called in, to 
convey his trumpery to his state-room; he giving 
strict orders to this or that apparently careless 
boy, not to press the package, but to hold it right 
side up. 

His disappointment was great when he learned 
that trunks were not allowed in sleeping apart- 
ments. He shrugged his shoulders in disgust as 
he muttered to himself: "Dogs not allowed in 
the park; children not allowed on the grass; trunks 
not allowed in the rooms; altogether too arbi- 
trary." 

After being pleasantly ensconced in his seem- 
ingly close quarters, with his boxes, bundles 
and packages placed in corners, on racks, in the 
windows, or hung on hooks, he invited us to take 
seats and consider ourselves his guests for the pres- 
ent. Touching the electric bell, it was quickly 
answered by a fine appearing colored gentleman, 
whom he tipped with a dollar, saying: "That is 
for the four; now remember that you are not to 



10 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

look these gentlemen in the face as if they owed 
you something; they have traveled, but this is my 
first outing; bring us a card table." 

Then turning to us he continued, "I should have 
brought my own table, but you advised me to 
bring only what was actually necessary — 

"Is that the largest card table you have?" 

"All one size, sir," replied the obedient servant. 

"Well, I suppose that will do. Now bring us a 
pitcher of ice water — Hold! hold! come back, 
waiter!" 

"Yes, sah.?" 

"How am I supposed to get to my trunks.?" 

"I will direct you as often as you please; it will 
be a pleasure to do so, sah." 

"Here,tcike this key, it will unlock the smallest 
trunk. In the substantial partition, at the right 
hand side, you will find a number of square bot- 
tles, all plainly labeled. Bring us the one marked, 
'Old Rye.'" 

"All right, sah." 

"Stop! stop him, Mr. R., call him back (that 
quick move looks suspicious)." 

"Sah.?" queried the darky, as he returned with 
a somewhat disturbed countenance, which in- 
dicated an invisible flushed face. 



PHILIP AND HIS BAGGAGE 11 

"Perhaps," said Philip with a sanctimonious air, 
"I had better accompany you, as the locI< is out 
of order, and you might not be able to open it 
without trouble." 

"Take right hold, drink hearty, gentlemen — 
what, none of you wish to indulge? Well — yes — 
yes, as you say, it is too early in the day, but as you 
say, Mr. R — , it will be just the thing for .special 
occasions, hunting, fishing, &c, for we must take 
our chances of a swim in the rapids, a battle with 
the Indians, or a chase from a she bear." 

"Really, Mr. Parkins," said Mr. N — , "do you 
understand this to be a dangerous tour? I take it 
to be a pleasure trip from which we will encounter 
no danger, barring accidents. What is your opin- 
ion?" he said, turning to me. 

"Of course," I replied, "on occasions like these 
we expect to encounter dangers; that is what we 
are out for; it is the romantic part — one might say 
the one ideal hope that we may return home after 
having experienced hair-breadth escapes. To be 
sure,there is danger,great danger; the hope of our 
return is based on good luck, but I agree with Mr. 
Parkins that the chances of our return are — well 
one might say, a little in our favor." 

"Is it your real opinion Mr. R-— ." inquired Mr. 
Parkins, "that we are — ?" 



12 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

"Oh, please call me M. A." said I, "don't let 
us be loaded down with "Mr." when we are out 
on a lark. That prefix, Mister, ought never 
to be used in social circles; it acts like a sinker 
attached to a kite. Of course it will always have 
its place in the way of an introduction, but to be 
used among one's equals, in every-day life, sounds 
too much like those outrageous titles with which 
they are hampered in the old country. Please 
call me 'M. A.' and I will call you 'Phil.' We 
want to be free and easy when traveling, and en- 
gage in conversation with any good appearing per- 
son whom we find at our elbow. Begin by relat- 
ing a brief, interesting experience of your own, 
and if he has ever traveled he will reciprocate, or 
perhaps introduce you to a friend v\ ho has traveled 
over the route you are taking, and can give you 
valuable information which cannot be found in 
books — excuse me, gentlemen, I have thoughtlessly 
diverged from the subject. As far as the danger 
is concerned, it depends upon what course we 
take, for there are two ways of traveling. One is, 
purchase all the reading matter obtainable which 
throws light on the route you have laid out for 
your trip; don't go on deck while on a steamer, 
for the lake breeze tans one so. Stop at one of 



PHILIP AND HIS BAGGAGE 13 

the most fashionable hotels, and instruct the por- 
ter to procure your conveyance, and instruct your 
driver to pass the most noted places. When once 
in your carriage or canoe, order all the tops up 
and the curtains down; this will keep out the dust 
or spray, and, of course, the fresh air also. Give 
the guide instructions to make the trip as short as 
possible, which he would have done without your 
advice. Charge him not to forget to call out dis- 
tinctly, as he passes, the name of each objective 
point of interest, which must be dotted down with 
great care. This class of tourists can be easily dis- 
tinguished by their exactness of distances, dates 
and dimensions. Their information is very reli- 
able; they are extremely interesting, because their 
rehearsals sound so much like the reading of state 
statistics. 

"The other class are actual observers; those 
who inquire of the guides and others; leave the 
carriage, boat, or train at every point of interest. 
Climb up and down; wade in the water; chase a 
squirrel through the woods, as if they actually ex- 
pected to catch him. When they return from a 
ride the ladies' bangs are whipped out, and the 
gentlemen's hats, if left, are stove in, and all in 
the party are full of fun and laughter. Their flushed 



14 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

faces would give one the impression that they had 
had a tussle with a real bear. 

"We expect to be of the latter class. We must 
climb the Sugar Loaf, where it requires the sharp- 
est kind of toenails to cling to the rocks; descend 
the Rapids, just a little further out into the whirl- 
ing waters than the Indians have ever before ven- 
tured with their canoes; and make an actual search 
upon the Canadian Heights, for the young wolves 
and bears in their dens. It is a little unfortunate, 
Phil, that j^ou and I were built so much on the 
Clydesdale plan, for you see we can't sprint — well 
we won't try, we will climb a tree, and when the 
animal is eating those other fellows we will quietly 
slip down and sneak out. I would never have 
coaxed you to come, Phil, if you had left a family 
behind." 

"M. A.," said Phil, "what I said about danger 
was all a joke. What you say about returning to 
the city with hair-breadth escapes on our tongues 
might be amusing to our friends, but how about 
those who encounter the wolves, and nothing is 
left to tell the tale but their hats and boots.?" 

"Please allow me to have a word in this con- 
versation," said Sam. "You must not get worked 
up over this matter, Phil. First, we are not 



PHILIP y^ND HIS BAGGAGE 15 

expecting to take much risk. Second, if we'd 
actually drop into a trap, I'll guarantee that 
M. A. will be the foremost man in the attempt to 
escape. Don't you think so, Billy .!*" 

"Certainly I do," was the reply. "M. A. talks 
like a wooden man; I have heard him talk before. 
The idea of climbing rocks and hanging on with 
his toenails, and entering wild animals' dens, 
why — " 

"You aie sensible, Billy," broke in Phil, "and now 
laying all joking aside, I want one of you to lay 
out the program for to-morrow, so we will know 
what to expect when we get to the Island." 

"That is simple enough," said Sam. "I under- 
stand that teams are in waiting which will take us 
to all the points of interest. The first day we will 
take in the sights of the Island, and the next we 
will board one of the little steamers and go over to 
the Snow Islands, fishing,but now let us go to sup- 
per and be ready for the entertainment, which is to 
take place in the cabin this evening, 



SHE HAD DANCED WITH JESSE JAMES. 



The evening passed off pleasantly. Mrs. — from 
Chicago played and sang several selections, of 
which the audience showed their appreciation. We 
were also favored by the M— Quartet, that sang 
and recited both humorous and sentimental pieces. 

A comical selection, Title, "The Sensitive Bride," 
was sung, of which the chorus ran something like 
this: 

For she wore red stockings and hair to match, 

I called her my Angel, my darling Kose Hatch; 

But I chanced once to call her "Old Sorrel Top Rose," 

And that's why I'm nursing this poor broken nose. 

This song hred the emotion of an elderly Texan 
Ranger, who stood near me, and he remarked that 
it reminded him of the old Missouri favorite song, 
"Joe Bowers," which his brother-in-law sang at 
Mon^lova in 1877, the night that the James Boys 
came there to the "Fandango," 

16 



SHE HAD DANCED IVITH JESSE JAMES 17 

The name of the James Boys naturally excited 
our attention, and we urged him to tell us any- 
thing real about the men who had so successfully 
evaded arrest for over a generation. And even 
then they were not captured, for one fell a victim 
to a traitor, and the other, of his own accord, came 
to the Governor's mansion of the State of Missouri 
and unfastening his belt, laid his revolvers on the 
table before the Governor saying, "No living man, 
but me, has had hand on these revolvers since 
1861." (21 years.) No one sanctions the un- 
worthy deeds of an outlaw, but still there is a tinge 
cf sympathy in the human heart for the un- 
daunted, even though a bravado criminal, and we 
all gathered around to learn from an eye-witness 
something of the brothers whose daring adventures 
far out-classed any that ever defied the authorities 
of any civilized nation on earth. 

He begged to be excused on the ground that he 
had never seen either of the James Boys. His 
only information about them was what he had 
heard. "But," he added, "my wife Maria has 
danced with both of them and she always leans to 
the side that they were more humane than man}^ 
who lived within the pale of the law." 

His better half, Maria, was awkwardly endeav- 



18 EIGHT D/1YS OUT 

oring to porse on one of the easy Turkish settees, 
as if that kind of life and surrounding luxury had 
been her lot since childhood. But overdoing it 
always gives the thing away, and she was not 
alcove that weakness which abounds in the human 
family. The very mention of her name caused her 
to blush, and she gushingly implored us to excuse 
her from entertaining, even before she had been 
called upon. 

Mr. J., her husband, was a swarthy, angular, 
hard-featured man. He was of that make-up which 
is often found on the great western plains, awk- 
ward and rough in appearance, but often just and 
kind of heart. Maria was more of the Spanish 
style, and although every motion betrayed her 
weakness, and showed plainly that she would be 
more at home riding a Texas steer than among 
educated people, yet there were traces still remain- 
ing which could not be questioned that she had 
once been a beautiful and graceful unpolished type 
of her sex. Mr. J, explained that for years he had 
been in the cattle business, and he now owned a 
ranch of six thousand acres which was well stocked 
and he and Maria had come North to spend a few 
dollars and learn the customs of the people whose 
homes lie on the borders of the great Northern 
Lakes, 



^HE HAD DANCED IVlTH JESSE J AMES 19 

No one doubted his claim to wealth, for the 
diamond which glittered on the old gent's linen, 
as well as those which adorned Maria's proud per- 
son, spoke in a tone which even the deaf never fail 
to hear. Maria begged her husband to desist from 
mentioning her connections, as she called it, with 
the James Boys, but said that if we thought it 
would be interesting, she would relate the facts 
concerning the tragedy at Monclova, of which she 
was an eye-witness. 

At our request she began, and as she entered 
the subject, which was probably the theme of her 
life, she proved to be a skillful narrator, and soon 
forgot the "agony" she was trying to maintain. In 
her quaint language (which I will not attempt to 
copy) she laid before us the scene of that awful 
night as if it had been but yesterday, and we, in 
part, saw Jesse and Frank James, and heard Jesse's 
ringing voice of command as the two Missouri boys 
were about to fight against eighty armed Mexicans. 
* Her story was something as follows: 

"When I was eighteen years of age we lived in 
Monclova, in Coahuila, which is in the northern 
part of Mexico. My Uncle George lived a few 
doors west of us, whom I had often heard my 
father talk about, as having passed through many 



^6 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

hair-breadth escapes. But father would never 
tell us any of the particulars, and I grew up in 
ignorance of what my uncle's former life may have 
been. One evening I ran in to Uncle George's and 
found him in high glee over the arrival of two old 
friends, whom he introduced to me as 'Smith and 
Anderson,' but who proved to be the brothers, 
Frank and Jesse James. They were probably 
about thirty or thirty-five years cf age, but looked 
quite boyish, even younger than they really were. 
They appeared very gentlemanly, and conversed 
in such a free and easy manner that after meeting 
them several evenings I began to enjoy their com- 
pany. 

"One evening when a party of ten or fifteen 
had gathered at uncle's house, the conversation 
drifted to the bold desperadoes, Frank and Jesse 
James, who, only a few days previous, had while 
passing through a village near our town, been 
discovered by a troop of Mexicans, who attempted 
to capture them The bandits fled from the vil- 
lage pursued by a dozen or more armed men, 
who were not a little surprised to see the two 
lone horsemen turn around and face them. As 
the pursuers approached the bandits began firing, 
and at each shot a man fell from his horse, until 



SHE HAD DANCED IVITH JESSE JAMES 23 

four men lay sprawling on the ground, when the 
Mexicans turned and fled. As they did so the ban- 
dits followed after them, sending bullets which 
sped their way not astray, leaving two more dead 
before they continued their journey. Ten men 
then rode around the mountain and concealed 
themselves in ambush, hoping to take them una- 
wares, but the bandits discovered them and ac- 
tually charged on them, killing one and dispersing 
the others, 

"While the facts were being related, the 
brothers listened so attentively that one would 
have thought it was the first time they had ever 
heard the name of the James Boys mentioned. 

" 'I,' said Smith, 'would like to join a party of 
five or six, and capture those outlaws; I consider 
myself a good shot under ordinary circumstances — 
of course in a case of emergency I might get ner- 
vous, but if we hear of them again I hope it will 
be so I can have a hand in the business.' 

" 'Talk is cheap,' said Anderson, 'but I don't 
want any of that in mine. Possibly they are 
in this neighborhood now — isn't it a pity they 
could not be caught and punished.? Don't you 
think soV he said, addressing me. 

" *I am not afraid of them,' I answered; 'they 



24 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

never hurt the women, but I would give anything 
to see such awful men.' 

"He laughed as he said, 'Miss, the shock might 
kill you,' and so the evening passed away. Before 
the gathering broke up it was decided that my 
uncle was to give a fandango in honor of his 
guests before they returned north. 

"My father did not know who the strangers were, 
but I think he mistrusted that they were boys wlio 
belonged to the famous Quantrell's Gorilla Band, 
for he warned me not to trust the strangers. I 
will confess that not only myself, but several of 
the young ladies in the neighborhood enjoyed the 
company of these young men, whom no one seemed 
to know, only that they were friends of my Uncle 
George. 

"Jesse was my first partner at the fandango, or 
ball, and Frank danced with Sue Lessner. About 
lo o'clock father came into the ballroom and beck- 
oned me to go out with him. We had been enjoy- 
ing ourselves so much that I did not feel as if I 
could spare the time to comply with his request^ 
but I asked Mr. Anderson (Jesse) to excuse me, 
and followed father. You can never, in the least, 
imagine my surprise and feelings when he told me 
that the two strangers were Frank and Jesse James; 



SHE HAD DINGED IVITH JESSE JAMES 25 

that they had been identified by a young American 
from Matehuala. 

"He said that the American authorities 
had out an offer of Fifty Thousand Dollars 
reward for their capture, also Captain Macy 
still held out his reward of One Thousand Dollars 
each. He also informed me that a detachment 
of eighty men had been mustered in, who had al- 
ready surrounded the house, and that their escape 
was impossible, and that I must not return. 

"I had always gladly obeyed my father, but this 
time I obeyed the dictates of my own conscience, 
and immediately returned to the ballroom. As I 
passed through the door I saw the cruel soldiers 
with guns guarding the door, and could see their 
murderoub revolvers hanging by their sides. I soon 
discovered that the brothers were aware of the 
trouble, for they were unusually J0II3' and managed 
to keep on the move every moment. I put myself 
in Jesse's way for the next set, determined to tell 
him all, and give them a chance to sell their lives 
as dearly as possible. 

"I think he knew he could trust me, for he carried 
my hand in his to the other end of the room as he 
said: 'Maria, my mother is a brave woman, she 
is the best woman on earth — you are a brave girl, 
I know you are.' 



^6 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

"I then turned and looked him squarely in the 
face and tried to begin, but he said, 'Hush!' 

"He and Frank both wore short, loose coats 
which looked like hunting coats and they looked 
neat and respectable. Not a trace, either in 
their looks or demeanor, betrayed them to be 
the awful men which they were. I had from the 
first respected them, but as they stood so quiet, 
and yet so brave, under such circumstances, I ac- 
tually admired them. I could see no weapons, and 
cannot now understand how they carried their re- 
volvers unless they were fastened to a belt very 
tight around their waists. Jesse excused himself, 
and he and Frank stepped to the back window and 
I hoped they were about to escape, but they soon 
returned. 

"It was several moments before the set was 
formed, and oh! what awful moments to me! I 
do believe that I have never been the same person 
since. If my hair did not turn gray, my heart was 
growing cold, and I have never doubted that had 
the opportunity presented itself, I should have 
thrown myself between those men and death and 
received the fatal missile myself. 

"However bad Jesse might be, he still loved the 
mother who bore him, and whatever crimes they 



SHE H/ID DANCED mTH JESSE JAMES 27 

may have committed they had certainly done no 
one harm since they came to Monclova. 

"As I looked upon the two harmless appearing 
young men, who, as I understood, were about to 
be murdered, or to be deprived of their freedom, 
only to await the gallows, I could see only one 
cause for the coming tragedy, and that was the 
mighty dollar. While we were still waiting, as 
Jesse would not listen to me, I walked directly 
over to Frank, and was about to address him, but 
the music started and I was compelled to return 
for my set. When we began to move on the floor 
I tried to act natural, but I was so weak that I 
could not. Jesse noticed it, and several times gave 
me a little shake; I think it was to encourage me, 
but I was growing weaker and was about to faint 
—when the door was unceremoniously burst open, 
and I saw the officer coming toward us. As he 
approached, for some unaccountable reason my 
strength returned and I was not so much alarmed. 
The two victims stood side by side as the stately 
officer, followed by his guards, with their weapons 
drawn, strode into the room. 

"At first all stood as if spell-bound, and no 
one spoke except the German fiddler, who 
said, 'Vas ish all dis,? We don't got dot on de 



^8 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

program.' I expected to see the Drothers 
draw their weapons as the officers approached, 
but they did nothing of the kind; they stood 
in a defenseless way as the soldiers came 
near, and the officer said: 'In the name of the 
Mexican Government I demand your surrender.' 

"And the brothers smiled in his face. 

'"Will you peacefully surrender?' he inquired. 

"'Never,' was Frank's calm reply. 

"With that the officer motioned his guard to 
move forward. 

"'Stop!' exclaimed Jesse, and the officer mo- 
tioned his guard to halt. 

'"I have a proposition to submit,' said Jesse, 
'will you hear it.?' 

'"If it means surrender, yes, 'replied the officer. 

"'It is this,' said Jesse, 'that you permit the 
ladies to retire, and then we will discuss the ques- 
tion with you.' 

"'I,' said the officer, 'shall be compelled—' 

"'I say let the ladies retire!' again exclaitned 
Jesse, and he spoke in that confidential, command- 
ing tone of one who had the power to enforce his 
command. The officer seemed distuibed, and I 
never could determine in my mind, whether he 
acquiesced out of the respect he held for the ladies, 




0) 



fe 



SHE H/tD DANCED IVITH JESSE JAMES 31 

or if it might be that when he found himself face 
to face with the notorious James Boys, and they 
had defied him to do his worst, only insisting that 
the ladies retire before the battle commenced, that 
his strength failed him. Instead of ordering them 
seized, as I expected, he began a parley, stating 
that the house was surrounded by eighty armed 
men, and that resistance was useless, but Jesse 
repeated again, in a commanding voice, 'I say let 
the ladies retire. ' 

"I was then looking at the two men who still 
stood with open hands and apparently in a defense- 
less manner. When he spoke he looked at the 
door as if to see if they were going, I glanced at 
the door and instantly turned back my head to 
behold the harmless appearing Missouri boys, on 
the defense, armed with glistening revolvers, the 
smoke already rising from Jesse's weapon, from 
which it had sent a bullet through the heart of the 
commanding oi^cer. Bang! bang! bang! came 
three more successive reports and four men lay 
writhing in the agonies of death, while all the others 
in the room were attempting to make their escape. 
Instantly Frank flashed his shining weapon to one 
side — a sharp report — a jingle of glass from the 
only oil lamp, — and we were in darkness. What 



32 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

I said or did amid the confusion that followed I 
cannot remember, but it is not improbable that I 
may have shouted, 'Hurrah for old Missouri!' 

"In the darkness all made a break for the street, 
the Mexicans fleeing from the bandits, and the 
bandits escaping from the Mexicans. The soldiers 
could not shoot unless they shot promiscuously into 
the crowd, and, for reasons best known to them- 
selves, they fled pell-mell before the throng, of 
which the James Boys were probably in thelead.The 
news spread like wild-fire and soon the inhabitants 
of Monclova were up in arms to defend themselves 
against supposed hundreds of hireling murderers 
who were about to massacre all the inhabitants 
of the town. It was 2 o'clock in the morning be- 
fore the Monclovaites thought of the blooded horses 
which belonged to the James Boys, and then there 
was a grand (cautious) rush for the stable where 
the horses were known to have been kept. 

"They found the hostler asleep; he had not heard 
of any trouble, but said the two young Americans 
had called in the night and taken their horses and 
rifles, but they seemed to be in no hurry. They 
had made close inquiry as to the feeding of the 
animals, after which they had watered them and 
called for a brush and slicked their manes and tails 



SHE HAD DANCED IVITH JESSE JAMES 33 

before they mounted. As they were about to start 
he heard one of them say — 

"'I say, Frank, this is a lively little town, isn't 
it?' 

"'Yes it is, Jesse, 'replied the other, 'we have had 
lots of fun here this evening; I wonder if they will 
miss us in the morning?' 

"Then they started up the mountain on a slow 
trot. 

"There," said Maria, "that is all I know about 
them." Then heaving a sigh she concluded,"! have 
since learned that the cause of the James Boys' 
conduct W'HS at least in part owing to the cruel 
treatment which their inoffensive parents received 
at the hands of the authorities." 



MACKINAC ISLAND 



Long before we were in sight of the Island, Phil 
was busy packing his trunks, and running with par- 
cels and bundles through the cabin, preparatory 
to leaving the boat. He had insinuated that he 
did not intend to be late again, "on this /;-//," but 
when the boat landed he was not quite ready. 

He had decided at the last moment that it was 
unbecoming to appear at a strange hotel in ruffied 
linen, so he had attempted to make the shift, and 
had not the Captain been very accommodating, Mr. 
Parkins would have continued his journey while 
we stopped at the Island. The trunks were ashore, 
and we had gathered up all the little parcels and 
stood waiting on the dock when the last bell 
sounded, just as Phil came on a run with his silk 
hat on the back of his head, shirt collar in his 
hand, and one suspender dragging. 

34 



MAGKlf^AC ISLAND 35 

Mackinac Island is situated about 30 miles north- 
east of Mackinaw City, and a little to the north- 
west of the approach of the extremes of upper and 
lower Michigan. 

Quite a pretty legend is connected with the Is- 
land. It is to this effect: — Once upon a time an 
Indian maiden Oweenee, the youngest of ten sis- 
ters, married an old man, Osseo, whom her sis- 
ters derided. The old man was one day transfig- 
ured into a youth, and Oweenee became old and 
decrepit, but still he loved her and called her Ne- 
ne-moosh-a (my sweetheart). One evening they 
were all assembled at a hunter's lodge, with whom 
they were to feast and be happy, but Osseo was 
unhappy on account of Oweenee's condition, and 
he gazed heavenward and prayed. 

Soon strange voices were heard and the lodge 
began to tremble and they were raised above the 
clouds and trees, far away to the evening star. 

Oweenee and her sisters became shining birds, 
with the beauty of starlight, and she bore a son 
who was an archer. One day he shot one of the 
birds, which proved to be his aunt, at which the 
spell was broken and they began sinking, down, 
down, until they found themselves on the Island 
of Mish-in-e-mok-ok-ong, or land of spirits, from 



36 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

which the Island derived its name. On bright 
moonlight evenings their lodge is still seen, and 
their voices heard: — so say the natives. 

The first church was built on the Island about 
1780. Soon after John Jacob Astor made the 
Island the trading point of the American Fur Com- 
pany. In 1 783, by the treaty between The United 
States and Great Britain, Mackinac fell within 
the boundaries of the United States, but the Eng- 
lish refused to withdraw their forces until 1796. 
During the war of 181 2, while the fort was held 
with less than sixty United States troops, the Brit- 
ish came upon the Island from the north with a 
force of about 1,000 men, and took up a position on 
the heights which overlooked Fort Mackinac. 

They threw up breastworks around about an 
acre of ground, as a protection against the on- 
slaught of 57 Yankees. The embankment still re- 
mains and is called Fort Holmes. 

The breastworks which enclosed the fort are about 
five or six feet high and six feet across the top. 
The prints made by the wheels of the cannon, as 
they were placed in position, are still plainly visi- 
ble. It is nicely grassed over, and if undisturbed, 
will remain a very interesting relic as the ages go 
by. Each summer, strangers will come, and stand 




View of Fort Holmes. — Page 36. 



MACKINAC ISLAND 39 

on the old fort; they will speak more politely, ac- 
cent their words more correctly, drop many plain 
words and supply new ones, until the time will 
come when the tourist of the future, standing on 
the fort to greet the tourist of to-day, would be 
unable to comprehend our brogue, and still the 
fort will have the same history. The Island con- 
tains about 2,000 acres, of which about 1,000 be- 
longs to the government, and is held as a park. 

On arriving at the dock, one is besieged by a 
swarm of old and young men and boys, all anxious 
to take the stranger a trip around the Island to see 
the sight. One dollar is the price, and no deviation. 

It is to be deplored that many of these would-be 
guides know very little about the Island or its 
history. 

Arch Rock was the first point of interest. 
The clifT proper extends out over the lake, and 
is said to be 149 feet high. From the outer point 
the ledge extends north, and through this rock a 
large opening has been formed, leaving an arch over 
it about eight feet deep and five feet wide. This 
natural arch over so large a space is one of the 
most picturesque that I have ever seen. 

Sugar Loaf was the next point to which we 
were driven. We found it very interesting; a large 



40 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

rock in an opening, said to be 134 feet high, al- 
though it did not appear to be over 100 feet. It 
looked like a sugar loaf standing on one end. 
Twenty feet or more from the base is a hole, or 
cave, to which visitors ascend by way of a ladder 
and make themselves at home. 

Directly west of Sugar Loaf is a high promi- 
nence, called Point Lookout. I concluded that 
this must be the spot where the Oweeneeans landed 
when they came back to earth from the Evening 
Star. 

From this point the lovely green valley, with 
Sugar Loaf in the center, can be seen. Fort 
Holmes, before mentioned, is a short distance 
south of this beautiful outlook. Skull Cave, still 
west of Point Lookout, is simply an opening in a 
ledge where Indian skulls and ancient relics were 
found, which apparently belonged to some long 
forgotten family. Here I gave a helping hand to 
several ladies who were desirous of climbing the 
Skull Cave ledge, and I am frank to confess that 
the thought of standing in the rock where Indian 
maidens may have stood while singing the funeral 
dirge of some forgotten monarch, was not as satis- 
factory to me as the realization that my attention 
was appreciated by the fair sex of the present day. 



\%i 'm [Tliiill 




MACKINAC ISLAND 43 

Lovers' Leap and Devil's Kitchen are situated 
on the west side of the Island. The Devil's Kitchen 
is situated just beneath the rock from which the 
lover is supposed to have leaped. These scenes are 
not particularly interesting, unless it is suggestive 
of the thought that many a fair maiden has leaped 
from a lofty position of comfort and good society 
to the Devil's Kitchen below, to scrub her life 
away in poverty and disgrace. Wishing Spring 
adjoins Devil's Kitchen, where all are supposed to 
pay their nickel, think of the one you love best, 
take a drink and wish; but I was too conscientious 
to indulge in a sweet wish, especially under such 
"Devilish" circumstances. 

Mackinac Fort commands a view of the harbor 
and is somewhat interesting. Near the fort is a 
block-house, or fort, built in 1780. We walked 
around the southeast corner of the Island to 
view the wonderful precipice, called Robertson's 
Folly. The legend concerning that cliff is ro- 
mantic enough to satisfy the most love-sick goose. 
The following is the quintessence of the astonish- 
ing tale: 

Robertson was a gallant English officer, a 
great admirer of the fair sex, but whose mind, un- 
fortunately, ran more to the ideal than the real, 



44 EIGHT D/tYS OUT 

Evening after evening he followed his phantom 
sweetheart, and as the orb of day sank to its cradle 
of sweet rest, and the whip-poor-will's soft notes 
echoed through glen and vale, she waited — lingered 
for him amid bowers of love. Her smiles and 
charms called his soul from nature's tame abode to 
love's fair dream-land Her loving eyes lured him 
on until from the high cliff she made her fairy 
debut, He, like a lover bold, plunged after her, 
and of course landed among the hemlock boughs 
below, and broke his neck. 

From that point we followed the beach north 
to the foot of Arch Rock, the scene before men- 
tioned. There we discovered an interesting arch, 
which is not on the program, but is more wonder- 
ful, and will exist for ages after the renowned arch 
has crumbled and gone. It is directly under the 
high cliff, or promenade which extends out into 
the lake, that tourists walk out upon while viewing 
the Aich Rock. From the Island the lower arch 
is not seen, and the guide either does not know of 
its existence, or is instructed not to mention it, as 
the tourist might demand five minutes to explore. 
Two hundred dollars would pay the expense of a 
winding stairway, down through the principal arch, 
then under the lower one, and extending to the 




View of Arch Rock.— Page 44. 



MACKIN/IC ISLAND 47 

lake, which would then be the most picturesque 
scene on the Island. 

Last, but not least, our attention was called to 
an old iron cannon whxh rests upon a wooden 
structure, near the water's edge, in front of the 
harbor. It is about fifteen feet long, and probably 
carried a thirty pound ball. I looked at it with 
admiration. My smile was one of satisfaction. 
The heart which ever beats fondly for my country, 
seemed to swell with pride — with a strong will I 
resisted the temptation to put my arms around 
the old gun and give it a good hug. The object 
of my enthusiasm was one of the twenty guns of 
the famous old Niagara, which was used at Perry's 
victory on Lake Erie, during the war of 1812. I 
could not refrain from repeating the following 
V^erse, which I committed to memory when a 
schoolboy, concerning that battle. 

"On ths tenth of September, lei us all remember 
As long as this globe on its axis rolls round, 
Our tars and marines on Lake Erie were seen, 
To make the proud flag of Great Britain come down." 

I wish the old gun could be better cared for, 
and not allowed to rust out, for, any relic used by 
our forefathers in the great struggle for independ- 
ence, during life's cloudy morning when our nation 



4^ EIGHT DAYS OUT 

was young, will always be interesting, whether 
it be Perry's gun, Washington's sword, Putnam's 
hat, or Molly Pitcher's stockings. 

Nature has done much to make this northern 
resort a popular place of rest. The rates charged 
are not exorbitant, but the services are unsatisfac- 
tory. The guides are ignorant, inexperienced, and 
in an awful hurry to get around and start with 
another load of passengers. At each point cf in- 
terest they act as if they had received a fresh 
telegram to the effect that "Father is dying, twins 
are born, wife has eloped," or some other little 
family irregularity, which demanded their imme- 
diate attention at home. 

We spent one day fishing at Snow Islands, a 
little group about twenty miles north of Mackinac. 

These daily excursions are delightful, as the fish 
are very plentiful. In some places the water is 
so clear that a dime can be seen forty feet from 
the surface. The fishing is done from little ca- 
noes, and it is rare sport to watch the swarms of 
perch play about the hook. Occasionally a big 
fellow is seen to grab the bait and, of course, this 
is where the fun comes in. If the lucky one is a 
lady, she immediately calls for help, and her escort 
is supposed to drop his fishing tackle and assist 



MACKINAC ISLAND 49 

her in landing the prize. Occasionally the lady 
over-estimates her catch and the fish doesn't weigh 
over half a pound. 



PHILIP THROWS UP 



On boarding the steamer for the "Soo," we had 
some trouble with Philip's baggage, and it was not 
his fault either. He began his preparations long 
before the boat ariived; he shaved and had his 
boots blacked; silk hat ironed, clean change of 
linen; porter engaged and distinctly instructed as 
to each trunk and parcel. As we were waiting for 
the boat to make her landing, I really did admire 
Phil's genteel appearance, for we three, having been 
standing on our heads by a misplaced footing, slid- 
ing down a cliff on the fiat of our backs, or acci- 
dentally sitting down in the water, began to look a 
little shabby, but with Philip at the head we were 
quite a respectable looking crowd. Phil's face 
beamed with pride, or a sort of self-satisfaction as 
the driver arrived with his luggage just in time for 
the boat's departure. But, for some unaccount- 
able reason, the dough-head of a porter, as Phil 

50 



PHILIP THROIVS UP 51 

called him, had left his largest trunk. We were 
in a bad fix: the driver did not know anything 
about it; the Captain could not wait; we could not 
go without Phil; and he could not go without his 
trunk. The boat hands began to hustle what 
baggage he had on board, and PhiHp started on a 
run to the hotel. He had scarcely turned the 
corner, when we learned that the big trunk had 
previously arrived, and was already on board. I 
started an expressman after him, with the promise 
of a square dollar, if he could get the unfortunate 
man there on time. The captain was a good-na- 
tured, genial kind of man, and although he looked 
very serious, still there was something about his 
countenance which betrayed him, and I have no 
doubt but that he enjoyed the sport. I don't ac- 
tually believe that he was in much of a hurry, for 
lake steamers are seldom on time, but no sooner 
had the rickety old vehicle started after Phil 
than he began to blow the great steamer's big 
whistle so awfully loud, that it seemed to shake 
the little Island of Mackinac to its very center. 
Toot! toot! toot! squealed a little tug that was 
lying at the wharf, which seemed inclined to join 
in the alarm, and then the big whistle began bel- 
lowing forth its last call. 



52 E ght Days our 

Just then the dollar man turned the corner, urg- 
ing his plug-ugly, which was already at a good stiff 
canter, into its extreme measure of speed. 

The dock at Macinac is not in the best of re- 
pair — not intended for a race track, and the run 
over such a course was attended with no slight 
disturbance. It not only shook them, but tossed 
them up to that extent, that broad daylight was vis- 
ible between the wagon seat and Phil's trousers. 
As he struck the gang plank he was hauled in with 
it and cheered by all on board. Phil thought to join 
in the merriment by jumping up and giving a sort 
of war-whoop. 

He happened to be standing under a beam which 
was not more than two inches above his silk hat, 
and as he ascended his head disappeared, and 
when he came down his plug hat actually rested 
on his shoulders, but he began the pawing process, 
like a dog trying to get off his collar, and with a 
little assistance was soon relieved. 

As our boat breasted the huge, tumbling waves 
out on the deep, restless waters, we looked back 
to the sweet little Island of Mackinac,kissed a good- 
bye to the few with whom we had become acquaint- 
ed, and the many whose story we would gladly 
have learned. As we bore east the wind became 



Philip throivs up 5o 

more boisterous, which caused Phil no little trou- 
ble. 

Our morning ramble and his exciting ride had 
thrown him into a sort of collapse, and the heavy 
sea frightened him, but he as usual was ravenously 
hungry. The sound of the dinner-bell had a won- 
derful reviving tendency, and we were soon seated 
at the dinner-table in the magnificent dining-room. 
We were all hearty, of course, but Phil pitched 
in like a Methodist Itinerant, who had just returned 
from a backwoods circuit. After partaking of a 
dish of soup he ordered boiled lake trout, fried 
perch and baked white fish. Then he began on 
his regular meat dinner, roast beef, roast duck and 
other substantial, with the usual vegetables, and 
wound up with nicknacks and ice-cream. As we 
were about finishing our meal the boat gave a 
tremendous lurch which broke our table from its 
fastenings, sliding it nearly across the dining- 
room, 

Philip appeared bewildered, but I assured him 
that such occurrences were quite usual during 
a breeze, and that we had only to wait for an- 
other big wave, when the table would come back 
to us. But he was in no condition for joking, as 
he was already beginning to look pale and showed 



56 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

other signs of seasickness. We made strenuou^ 
efforts to conduct him to his room, but when about 
midway of the rosewood and mahogany furnished 
cabin, with its velvet plush carpets, he motioned 
for a water pitcher, but too late. He did look 
funny; he seemed to have lost all his dignified 
mien, and without asking to be excused began to 
heave up. 

The spectacle was too ludicrous — to see our 
exemplary friend wallowing about, apparently 
endeavoring to transfer his dinner from the 
inside to the outside of his person, was more than 
we could bear, and we cruelly gave way to unre- 
served laughter. With the assistance of three 
waiters he was helped to his room, and amid a pro- 
fusion of towels and napkins, with a wash-bowl on 
either hand, he was prepared for a fit of seasick- 
ness. Everything being in readiness, he began to 
feel better, in fact had passed the critical period, 
and said he felt as if he was empty to the end of 
his toes. Sam also began to feel — no, not sea- 
sick, but he said he was tired and would lie down. 
By this time many on board seemed to be busy 
attending to their own affairs; that is, they were 
watching to see that some other passenger did not 
steal the dish they were using as a receptacle for 
their dinner. 



PHILIP THROIVS UP hi 

Billy and I worked our way to the bow of the 
boat, and with our hats in our hands, leaned over 
the side of the boat, and watched the proud 
steamer plough the heavy sea, whose wild waves 
often dashed upon the upper deck. 

Our route soon brought us into the St. Marj^ 
River, where all began to feel better, and explain 
why they happened to become seasick. One lady, 
from St. Louis, with more tongue than talent, 
attempted to demonstrate that she would have had 
no trouble in retaining her equilibrium had the 
boat continued moving forward instead of swinging 
around and around like a top. 

Phil soon appeared on deck, in a complete 
change of garments, to inform us that supper was 
nearly ready. He tipped all the porters and 
treated all who were dry. The voyage, he said, 
would not be complete without the recital of a 
sailor's yarn; he therefore sent to the Captain to 
inquire if there was an "Old Salt" on board who 
could entertain us in that direction.? We were in- 
formed that Capt. John Green was with us, and 
after tea, would be delighted to relate any experi- 
ence which might be interesting. 



CAPTAIN GREEN'S UNVARNISHED TALE 



About 8 o'clock we assembled in the forward 
main saloon, bringing stools and chairs from our 
rooms, and seated ourselves in a huddle, while the 
Captain took a seat in front. Captain Green was a 
tall, angular specimen of the New England Yankee 
type; steel gray eyes, square under jaw, and com- 
pressed lips which were partially concealed by a 
heavy mustache. He did not look ordinary, he 
was not the man that one could place at a glance, 
but rather one whose character would be an inter- 
esting study. He said: 

*• Ladies and Gentlemen, 62 years ago, at New 
London, Connecticut, when a lad of 14, I em- 
barked on a whaling vessel, called 'The Hopeful,' 
and followed a sea-faring life until 1889. Since 
then I occasionally make a pleasure trip like 
the one we are now enjoying. As for spin- 
ning yarns, it is not in my line, for that would 

58 



CAPTAIN GREEN'S UNTARNISHED TALE 59 

be an exaggeration of the truth, of which I would 
not be guilty. But I will relate an actual ex- 
perience, which, as you must know, having 
doubled Cape Horn, and Cape Good Hope three 
times, also making several trips to the frozen ocean, 
and—" 

"Captain," cried our friend Phil, "we are here 
prepared to listen to a sailor's yarn of the most 
startling character. Your experience might be in- 
teresting, but can't you give us something more 
spicy?" 

"I cannot," said the Captain; "plain, unvarnished 
facts, simple experience, is all I could conscien- 
tiously give." However, we begged him to proceed. 

"On one of our return trips from the northern 
ocean," began the Captain, "we were alongshore, 
off the coast of Newfoundland, and were all in 
high spirits. We had captured about forty of the 
monsters of the deep, and as our heavy laden ship 
glided along the clear blue Atlantic, on that soft 
sunny September day, we thought of loved ones 
at home, whom we soon should see, and familiar 
voices we soon should hear. For many nights we 
had dreamed of a loved mother's caress, and the 
soft smile of the fond maiden, as she blushingly 
tried to conceal the fact that she had been watch- 
ing and waiting. 



60 EIGHT D/IYS OUT 

"No happier crew of jolly tars ever paced the 
deck, than those on board the 'Molly O. ' that 
lovely autumn day. Near evening w^e were startled 
by the announcement that a lone shark was fol- 
lowing in the wake of the vessel, and was, even 
now, playing near the stern of the boat, awaiting 
its human victim. No omen is so seriously re- 
garded among sailors as that of the trailing shark. 
It invariably foretells the near end of one or more 
of the crew, unless in some way it can be dis- 
patched. The usual remedy to get rid of the in- 
truder was at once made ready. We set about to 
heat five thirty-pound cannon balls and then 
dropped them into the water, one after another; 
all of which the man-eater quickly snapped up and 
swallowed, besides — " 

"Do I understand you to say," broke in an 
elderly lady of dignified mien, with a Roman nose, 
on which rested a heavy pair of gold spectacles, 
^-that the animal actually swallowed the hot can- 
non balls.!* Might they not have sunk in the 
water.'*" 

"My dear madam," politely replied the captain, 
"I could not positively swear as to the first four, 
but I was told by those v^ ho were watching, that 
he swallowed them as soon as they touched the 



CAPTAIN GREEN'S UNl^ARNISHED TALE 61 

water; but there was no doubt about the fifth one, 
for I heated it in the furnace myself. When it 
was at a white heat I grabbed it with a huge pair 
of blacksmith's tongs, and leaning over the stern 
of the boat dropped it — upon my honor, the mon- 
ster caught it on the fly." 

The lady in question, apparently a teacher of a 
juvenile class in some Sabbath school, gathered 
up her skirts and retired to her stateroom. 

Continuing, the conscientious gentlem an said: 
"It ought to have killed him, but as we had feared, 
he proved to be one of the gehenna breed, and it 
apparently sharpened his appetite, for he followed 
on as lively as before. Nothing more could now 
be done, and we all huddled in the forecastle and 
began reading our Testaments, which we had not 
had occasion to read before since we set sail. 
About sunset, while we were eating our supper, a 
strange chorus of female voices fell upon our ears, 
and we dropped our knives and forks as if our 
hands had been paralyzed — we looked at each 
other in amazement." 

"Is it possible that the mermaid sings?" 

"Songs of mermaids are not uncommon when at 
sea; they often linger rear and throw kisses at us, 
and we get somewhat acquainted with them, but 



62 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

to hear them sing at sunset is to warn us that not 
far away, billows run mountain high, and that 
we must prepare for the inevitable, while they 
rehearse our funeral dirge. 

"As night came on the soft breeze died away, 
and our good ship seemed to be dreaming as she 
slept on the charming water. We had taken in 
our sails and I was silently pacing the deck of the 
* Molly O., ' which never before looked so lovely. 
In the dim twilight, as Jack Sloan was coming to- 
ward me, I saw him suddenly stop, and fix his 
gaze out over the dark Atlantic, and make signs 
as if he was about to jump into the sea. I ran to 
him and said, 'What is the matter.?' 

"'Do you see her, John.?' he inquired, 'Oh, isn't 
she lovely! Oh! its Jessie, see her stretch forth 
her lovely arms to save me. Oh, Jessie Dean!' 

"These strange words startled me, for I knew 
that Jessie Dean was Jack Sloan's sweetheart, of 
whom he had spoken to me as living in the old- 
fashioned farm-house on the Vermont hills, and I 
knew she could not be there upon the dark waters. 

"'Jack,' I cried, 'you are dreaming; there is 
nothing there,' and he looked at me strangely as 
he said: 

" 'I am quite sure I saw her,' Then he, after 
a moments reflection, said: 



CAPTAIN GREEN'S UNVARNISHED TALE 63 

" 'Yes, John, you are right; you see I was think- 
ing of her and I actually forgot myself.* 

"Soon we began to hear a faint, rumbling noise 
seaward; the air began to be chilly; a flock of 
seagulls came flying over; and the atmosphere 
became heavy laden. We were unacquainted with 
the rock-bound coast, and our only hope was to 
face the on-coming storm, which we had good 
reason to believe would be of short duration. 

"Two men were ordered into the rigging, of which 
Jack was one. Three were stationed on the deck, 
besides the Captain and myself, and the others 
were sent below to await their turn. The gale 
was soon upon us. 

"The 'Molly O.' began to heave and plunge, as 
her masts bent and swayed and the staunch ship 
seemed to groan as if in agony. I could discern 
that Jack had not strapped himself to the mast, 
and was about to call to him, when the boat gave 
a lurch, and he came down head foremost. 

"Running to him I cried, 'Are you hurt.^' No 
response came, and we soon discovered that his 
neck was broken As we were carrying poor Jack's 
body into the cabin, I noticed that the other two 
men were descending and I ordered them to re- 
turn, but they disobeyed, and I sang out to the 



64 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

Captain for more help, but the seamen stood hke 
dumb men and would not obey even the Captain's 
command. I, being first mate, determined to do 
my duty and immediately climbed into the rig- 
ging. To say that the sea ran mountain high, 
does not half express the commotion and tumbling 
of the wild billows in that awful storm. 

"Sometimes we poised on the top of the wave, 
and I looked down into the dark trough below 
into the seemingly subterranean grave, while at 
other times the ocean appeared to be far above 
the top of the masts. 

"Often we were submerged beneath the waves, 
but as the hatches were all closed she soon righted 
again. The poor 'Molly O.' floundered and rolled 
from side to side, each time immersing me in the 
briny Atlantic, but I suffered no particular incon- 
venience until I saw that shark coming to meet 
me with his mouth wide open. He made a grab 
at my head and I dodged just in time to save it, 
all except the tip of this ear. When he saw me 
dip on the other side he started for me again, but 
he wasn't quite on time. 

"These maneuvers were kept up for some time, 
when I missed him, and just as I expected, he 
was waiting on the other side for me to come 



CAPTAIN GREEN'S UNTARNISHED TALE 65 

back. I was prepared for him and threw a big 
coil of two inch rope at him, which he swallowed 
instead of me, and of course I felt somewhat 
elated at my craftiness. When the boat righted 
again I made a hand to hand run for the foremast, 
and when I came down again he did not get his 
eye on me until I was out of reach. 

"Knowing where he would be waiting for me, I 
contrived to take advantage of his mathematical 
calculations by shifting from the main to the miz- 
zen mast, then back to the foremast and in this 
way we played hide and seek for about an hour. 
"I wasn't much frightened — in fact I was never 
really scared in my life, yet I will acknowledge 
that that shark was mighty interesting company, 
and when the Captain hallooed to me that Bill, 
the second mate, had volunteered to relieve me, I 
didn't hesitate about sliding down the rope at once. 
In about half an hour I went out to relieve Bill, 
but — poor boy — he had already been relieved. 
We concluded that he had kind of satisfied the 
shark, for he did not follow us any longer. 

"Soon the sea became calm, and as the morning 
sun beamed across the broad waters of the great 
Atlantic, we might have drawn a long, thankful 
breath, but for the fact that there was poor Jack, 



66 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

whose body we dared not consign to the deep, for 
we were getting a little nervous about the inhabi- 
tants of the main. 

"From our chart we concluded that we were not 
more than ten miles from Elkhorn Grove, and 
we decided to run in there and give Jack a 
'terra firma' burial. From the scant lumber 
we had on board, I set about to make him a 
coffin. Having no screws I used nails, and being 
a good friend to the departed, I determined to 
make it tight and warm, so I set the nails close 
together, and drove home. 

"We felt a sort of relief when, m a lifeboat, 
we started for the shore intending to inter his 
remains where when each spring time returned, 
the grasses, huckleberry bushes, and shrub oaks 
would waft their sweet perfume above his 
lonely grave. 

"But as 'trouble never comes single handed,' 
or 'it never rains but that it pours,' so in this 
case. We found that the timid inhabitants, fear- 
ing that our charge might have died of some con- 
tagious disease, would not let us land, and we 
were compelled to return with him. 

"By the time we arrived at the ship it was late 
in the afternoon, and we had been toting the 



CAPTAIN GREEN'S Uhll/ARhllSHED TALE 67 

corpse around all day, and our nerves were getting 
toned up to that pitch where we couldn't stand 
much more, and wern't prepared for that which 
followed. 

"We were somewhat perplexed as to what 
course we should take with the body. The sea 
had become perfectly calm, and if we dropped 
him overboard we could not rid ourselves of his 
presence until the wind started to move our ship. 
The day had been extremely warm and we deemed 
it imprudent to keep him on board until morning, 
so we decided to hold the funeral at once and 
take him out to sea. 

"The Captain, for reason best known to him- 
self, was indisposed, so the duty of conducting the 
funeral service devolved upon me. The coffin 
was placed on two stools, and all the shipmates 
seated themselves around while I stood at the 
head and began reading the usual burial ser- 
vice. I read along until I came to that part 
which describes the resurrection: 'And the sea 
gave up its dead — 'when I was startled by a 
strange noise — a kind of scratching, pulling, strain- 
ing sound, and the coffin began to move. I sum- 
moned my entire force of will power and endeav- 
ored to look as composed as possible, but I invol- 



CS EIGHT DAYS OUT 

untarily stepped suddenly back, which was a signal 
for all hands to bolt and run, some one way and 
some the other, until I was left alone. My hair 
began to rise, and the cold sweat began — " 

"Didn't you tell us,'' inquired Phil, as he stood 
in a stooping position, having, unconsciously, 
partly risen from his chair, "that the person in 
question broke his neck when he fell from the mast 
head?" 

"That's what I did," replied the narrator, "and 
I still maintain that he was cold and stiff, when 
we laid him in the coffin. 

"Jack was a good honest fellow," continued the 
speaker, "and I could respect him dead or alive, 
and I certainly had no objections to his taking an 
active part in the funeral services, but the situation 
became so extremely embarrassing, owing to the 
sudden departure of the mourners, that I decided 
to slip down and invite them back before he got 
out. 

"I had worked myself away from the corpse about 
ten feet when I noticed the nails began to draw 
from the lid of the coffin, and it dawned upon 
my mind that decomposition had set in and the 
body was simply bursting off the lid of the box. 

"When the glad news spread among the sailors 



CAPTAIN GREEN'S UNl^ARNISHED TALE 71 

that Jack was still dead, they reluctantly returned, 
but still looked suspiciously at the box and managed 
to keep a respectable distance from it, so I was 
compelled to nail on the lid myself. While we 
were arranging the sinkers at the foot of the coffin, 
night came on; unwelcomed darkness enshrouded 
the deep sea; the western horizon was lost amid 
awful gloom; the wild electric king flashed over 
zigzag chains, which seemed to bind the steepled 
clouds together, followed by tremendous peals of 
doleful thunder, and the whole heavens appeared 
to be in fury arrayed against some unseen foe. 
At intervals, by the broad glare of these ethereal 
candles, we lowered the corpse into the boat and 
pulled out to sea. 

"Four strong men tugged at the oars while I 
held the rudder. When about a mile out we swung 
around, and from the stern of the little craft 
rested the coffin, waiting to take advantage of the 
next heavenly glare — when — feet foremost, we 
tipped him in, and I gave orders to pull for the 
ship. 

"Before we had proceeded two hundred feet, 
an electric flash lighted up the surrounding deep, 
and the oarsmen, who were facing seaward, turned 
aghast like dead men, and their oars dropped from 



•}'2 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

their hands, as Tom Wheeler faintly gasped, 'It 
is after us!' 

"I had just time to look over my shoulder 
and catch a glimpse of the coffin, which was 
jumping up and down on end and following 
close in our wake, and then the darkness overcast 
us again." 

At this juncture, in the "Unvarnished Tale," 
the speaker hesitated, while the few remain- 
ing hearers mopped the cold sweat from their 
troubled brow, and set their teeth as if determined 
to endure to the end. 

"I," said Captain Green, "grabbed an ax, and 
leaning over the stern of the boat, awaited a 
flash of lightning. When it came I shut my eyes, 
gripped my jaws together, and struck out 
wildly. The ax happened to hit the lid of the 
coffin and chipped out a piece, which allowed the 
compressed air to escape, and the remains of 
poor Jack went to the bottom with a gurgle." This 
ended the captain's yarn. 

Next morning as our boat steamed up the St. 
Mary River, we took in the lovely surroundings. 
And as we wended our way among the little hills, 
which seemed to be sleeping in the soft morning 



tAPTAihl GREEN'S UhjyARMISHED T/iLE 73 

sunlight, we smiled and wondered when we 
thought how excited we had been, the previous 
evening, over a sailor's silly yarn. 



SAULT STE. MARIE, OR THE "SOO." 



Saut is the Indian word for rapids, therefore the 
name implies, "The rapids of the St. Mary's 
River." As seen on the map, the rapids are sit- 
uated about ten or fifteen miles from the outlet 
of Lake Superior. 

Sugar Island, a tract of land of several thousand 
acres, which is inhabited mostly by half-breeds 
and Indians, lies southeast of the "Soo." The 
former route from Lake Huron to Lake Superior 
has been to pass around the Island, through Lake 
George, and up around the elbow of the St. Mary's 
River. The scenery on the winding river is quite 
picturesque and tourists will learn of its abandon- 
ment with regret. It has always been a source of 
trouble to navigators, especially in the night, as 
the channel is narrow, with a solid perpendicular 
rock surface on either side which has the appear- 
ance of having been cut through, like the Niagara 

77 



78 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

River, by wearing away of falls when the Lake 
Superior region must have been on a higher plane 
than it is now. For the last two or three years 
the government has been excavating a channel 
through the north end of the Island, which is now 
completed, and we came through the new American 
Channel on our return trip. We were informed 
that the new route saved steamers an hour's time, 
besides the other advantages before mentioned. 

The two villages, on either side of the rapids, 
are called the American and Canadian "Soo." 
When we arrived at the "Soo," we didn't expect 
to find much, so we were not disappointed. After 
we had assisted Philip and his luggage to com- 
fortable quarters, which of course took a full hour, 
we started for the famous Locks, which are said 
to be so great a sight. 

Well, it is quite a sight. It works on the same 
plan as the raising of a chestnut which is floating 
in a half glass of water, to the top by pouring in 
more water; the chestnut representing the great 
steamer rising from the level of the Michigan and 
Erie Lakes to the level of Lake Superior. The 
ingenuity displayed is not so complicated but that 
a person of average intellect can comprehend the 
scheme, for when the lower gate is closed and the 



SAULT STE. MARIE, OR THE 'SOO" 81 

upper one is opened, to let in more water, vessels 
lying in the slip would naturally rise if the water 
did. 

The vast amount of freight that is shipped 
through the Locks each day is surprising, and the 
one Lock, which only holds two large boats at a 
time, is not sufficient to accommodate them, but the 
American Government, and also the Canadian, are 
building each a new Lock, which, to my mind, is 
overdoing it, unless the Lake Superior region takes 
a sudden boom. After patiently listening to the 
length, breadth, height, vertical, horizontal and 
rectangular dimensions of the Locks, we decided 
to shoot the Rapids, which promised to be an ex- 
hilarating exercise, but proved to be more so than 
we had anticipated, The ride through the rapids 
is made in a canoe, manned by half-breed Indians. 
Bush (Buscher) was the first man who attempted 
to take passengers down through the rapids in a 
canoe, and it was his two sons whom we engaged 
to give us our ride. The landing from which the 
start is made is about halfway up the stream; 
from that point, the boat is paddled out into the 
shallow, or American side of the Rapids, and then 
dexterously worked up the stream. When they 
reach a certain point above the rapids, they row 



82 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

out as far as the tourists wish to venture, and 
then the canoe is allowed to descend with the cur- 
rent while an expert at either end of the boat 
keeps it from upsetting. A gentleman trom De- 
troit joined us, making five, besides the pilots. 
Phil seated himself in front, while we occupied the 
back seats. We were provided with oilcloths to 
protect us from the spray, and Phil spent some 
time in tucking one about his neck so that he con- 
sidered it water-proof, while the rest of us jumped 
in without ceremony. When we moved out into 
the stream we learned that the Indians did not use 
their paddles in working up the rapids, but pushed 
the boat with long poles. After glding past the 
little island they turned the canoe and faced up 
stream. 

I think that those who have taken in the "Soo" 
and Rapids will agree with me that the ascent 
over the dark rushing waters, among the great 
boulders which can be seen on either side, makes 
one feel more pokerish than the rapid descent. 

As the strong men tug away at the poles, and 
still the boat scarcely moves against the stream, 
it creates that kind of feeling which makes us of- 
ten say, "What if something should happen?" Well, 
we were holding our breath in suspense, when we 



SAULT STE. MARIE, OR THE ^^SOO'' 83 

heard something snap, and were horrified to see 
that the man in the front of the boat had broken 
his guiding pole. At the right lay a big rock which 
we could see was not more than four inches from 
the surface, and it required very little nautical 
calculation to realize that if the boat should swing 
that way, the rock would roll it over, and our 
chance for life would be small. The man called 
to his brother in their native tongue, and grabbed 
the long part of the pole and held the boat in po- 
sition while the one at the stern put forth all his 
strength to push it forward. 

We did not appear to move either way until 
the man with the broken pole got a firm hold 
against the rock, which gave us a start, and we 
drew near the island and worked up through the 
rapids with a sigh of relief. 

Our guide then inquired if we wanted a very rough 
ride, at which I told him to give us all he could 
for the money. He took me at my word and 
palled over near the Canadian side before making 
the descent. Their custom is to give a peculiar 
warning yell when the canoe is about to strike a 
big wave which is likely to send up a spray. Sev- 
eral times we caught a dash which was worse than 
we expected, but when we struck one which dashed 



84 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

over the boat and half filled it with water we could 
hardly decide whether it was best to continue or 
take back water, both of which we seemed to be 
doing in spite of all efforts. 

Phil, being in the front of the boat, fared the 
worst. The oilcloth which he had so carefully 
tucked about his neck, saved his clothes from the 
outer spray, but his shirt collar being quite loose 
allowed about two quarts of water to run down 
the back of his neck. 

Still he thought to keep something dry, and in- 
stantly raised his feet to the seat in front of him. 
This imprudent move threw his entiie weight upon 
the seat, causing it to give way, sitting him down 
in six inches of water. By this time we found 
ourselves below the rapids, gliding over a smooth 
surface. Phil, being the soul of good-nature, 
laughed as loud as any of us, declaring that his 
shirt bosom was still dry and that was more than 
the remainder of us could claim. We, of course, 
began to boast that we enjoyed the ride, and I 
presume we did, but it is the kind of enjoyment 
that a little goes a great ways. 

After lunch we went over to the Canadian side, 
and made arrangements for the next day for an 
excursion to a trout brook, about eight miles back 



SAULTSTB. MARIE, OR THE ^'SOO" 85 

in the country. Then returning we took in Fort 
Brady, which stands on the hill west of the 
"Soo." 

At the Fort we were treated very courteously. 
We were shown about the entire premises, the 
guides, or escorts of one department politely turning 
us over to the next. The baker spared no pains to 
explain how the cooking was done, and invited 
us to wait until the next batch of biscuit was out, 
which we gladly accepted and were pleased to find 
that Uncle Sam's bill of fare was all O. K. 

While making our rounds Phil discovered a huge 
Rocky Mountain bear, which he said, of course 
came from some menagerie, but when informed 
that the woods in that vicinity abounded with 
that kind of animals, he began to consider it a 
very serious matter. He plied our escort with 
several questions before he had time to answer the 
first one. As to how he was caught; had he ever 
killed a man; did they grow big as that in the 
woods; if discovered, would they give chase; and 
were there any of them over on the Canada side, 
where we had planned to go fishing.'* In his re- 
plies, our wily friend gave some rather extrava- 
gant accounts of what bears had been known to do, 
and Phil declared right then and there that it 



86 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

would be very unsafe for us to venture into the 
woods, unless we were prepared to meet that class 
of animals. 



PHILIP JUMPS FROM THE FRYING PAN 
INTO THE FIRE. 



We now considered ourselves tairly well ac- 
quainted with the wonders of the "Soo," so we re- 
turned to our hotel and got our (Phil's) baggage 
together and started for the Canadian side; Phil 
all the time talking about the bear. When we ar- 
rived on British soil w^e ran against a snag. We 
could not pass the custom house officer until our 
baggage had been examined, to which no one ob- 
jected except Phil. He explained the matter to 
the officer, who did not doubt his word, that he 
had nothing only what was absolutely necessary 
for a traveling man to carry for his daily use, and 
a few articles in a case of emergency. 

"Open them up!" said the officer, in a harsh 
tone, which awakened the gentleman's ire to that 
extent that he replied: 

"I will not open them up, sir, and you have not 
the power to make me doit, for I am not a smug- 
gler. The contents of those trunks are my own 

87 



88 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

private affairs, and I warn you to keep your hands 
off." 

"Oh, you greeny," replied the officer as he 
brought his cane down heavily upon the big trunk. 
"Did you never travel before? Open this baggage 
or I will do it myself." 

"Not much," roared Phil, as he gave the officer 
a tremendous push, at which the Canadian turned 
and dealt an awful left bander, which our cham- 
pion dodged and countered at his antagonist's 
left ear, which he missed by about an arm's length. 
Now the round was fairly on, and the fearful blows 
fell thick and heavy; each one with force enough 
to fell an ox, but neither being able to land, so 
they ceased pawing the air and clinched. 

Such muttering, straining, twisting and grunt- 
ing; over boxes, barrels, confiscated trunks and 
bundles; first one on top and then the other, until 
we decided to part them and save more blood- 
shed. Upon examination we found that the 
officer had a scratch on his neck, probably caused 
by Phil's sleeve button, and Phil's shirt collar had 
been ruthlessly torn out by the roots. It was all 
over so quickly that the whys and wherefores had 
not been considered, but when Phil began to real- 
ize that he had attacked, in parcel, the protective 



FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE 89 

force of Her Majesty's great dominions, he began 
to apologize, and it required the inexhaustive elo- 
quence of his combined allies to assuage the tem- 
per of the hot blooded Britain, and save poor Phil 
from going to the lock-up. To save Phil the hu- 
miliation of having his baggage examined, we de- 
cided to return to the American side and leave it 
at the hotel where we had been stopping; then go 
back to the Algonquin House, on the Canadian 
side, where we had previously made arrangements 
to stop so as to be ready for an early start for the 
trout brook in the morning. Phil insisted on 
treating the crowd twice, which so worked on the 
feelings of those present that several shook his 
hand heartily, and declared that he had done just 
right, whereupon he mounted a barrel and made a 
little speech, in which he said: 

"Gentlemen,! stand before you to apologize for 
a seemingly rash act. Let it be understood that 
we look upon you as our friends, and we have no 
disposition to disobey or trample upon the laws of 
your government. You will pardon me when you 
remember that we are from the 'Land of Liberty,' 
the country where every citizen's cabin is his 
castle, and the law sustains him in protecting his 
home and his person. The contents of those 



DO EIGHT DAYS OUT 

trunks are my personal effects, and when I defend 
them I defend my person. I have no ill feeling 
against your officer, it is the spirit of freedom that 
burns in the hearts of all true American citizens; 
the spirit of a John Han — " 

At this point, just as he was about to soar away 
into John Hancock eloquence, I jerked his coat 
tail, and he continued thus: 

"We profess to be gentlemen; we intend to be 
generous, and to prove my assertion, I now extend 
an invitation to all hands to come forward and im- 
bibe the famous potato whisky, of which you 
Canadians boast, though it strikes me it is about 
on par with our crab-apple cider, and — " 

I now jerked his sleeve, and saved another 
break, at which he returned to consciousness and 
continued thus: 

"My intentions, gentlemen, are far from any de- 
sire to wound the feelings of any who glory in 
the thought that they are subject to, or sheltered 
under the protecting wing of so great a nation. 
That nation, whose tyrannical arm stretches out 
over the great seas, and under the pretext of 
governmental and spiritual aid, throttles all infant 
industries and — " 

Here, I gave his coat tail a vicious jerk, and he 



FROM THE FRYING PAN WTO THE FIRE 91 

came down from his perch and wound up thus: 

"Excuse me, gentlemen, if I have thrown out 
any rash insinuations, for we respect you and ad- 
mire the lovely scenery which surrounds your rural 
homes. But do not flatter yourselves that we 
covet your ox your ass, or your broad acres, for if 
we did, all Uncle Sam would have to do, would be 
to unfurl the star spangled banner and say, "Boys, 
plant it there," and we would jerk off our coats 
and finish the job before breakfast, and — " 

This was too much for even the friendly Cana- 
dians to stand, so I sprang upon the barrel and 
made an apology just in time to save Phil's bag- 
gage from confiscation, and his dignified self from 
spending the night in the lock-up. We then hus- 
tled his baggage aboard the little steamer and 
started back to the United States. Phil was elated, 
and talked very loud to the passengers, in his ex- 
planation of his troubles, indulging in some very 
extravagant expressions, such as: 

"1 should prefer to hear the sound of the gravel 
upon the lid of my own coffin rather than to sub- 
mit to such injustice." 

He actually shed great tears of joy, as we pulled 
alongside the, "Sweet Land of Liberty," where he 
realized that his personal rights would not be 
interfered with. 



92 EIGHT DAYS out 

I noticed that the Captain and all on board 
looked smilingly at us, and showed signs of con_ 
cealed mirth, but we did not comprehend the sig- 
nificance of their acts until we had landed. When 
a man with brass buttons on his coat politely re- 
quested us to take our baggage into a room, which 
he pointed out, over the door of which we read, 
"Custom House OfBcer," Mr. Parkins began to ex- 
plain, but the officer, who would hear nothing, 
simply said: 

"Take these trunks in there and have them ex- 
amined, or take them back to Canada on the 
next boat." Phil took in the situation at a glance. 
Like a peacock, with his plumage in bold array, 
when caught in a shower, he drooped. 

I had kept a stiff upper lip until now,but I am so 
weakly constituted, that when anything ridiculous 
presents itself, I must laugh or burst, and I in- 
dulged in a tremendous outbreak. As I gave 
way to convulsive laughter I staggered backwards 
and sat down on what proved to be the head of a 
tar barrel, which had been standing in the sun. 
My countenance was soon changed to that of 
strange earnestness when I discovered that I was 
imbedded in the tar and could not get away, and 
the prospects were that I must leave my pants 



FROM THE FRYING P^N INTO THE FIRE 93 

with the barrel, or take the barrel with me. I 
will not fatigue the reader with further particu- 
lars concerning this personal matter, but will state, 
that after a thorough examination of the trunks, 
and I had purchased a new pair of pants, we re- 
turned to Canada and made ready for the fishing 
tour. 



ENCOUNTER WITH A BEAR 



After refreshing ourselves with a good night's 
rest, in large, airy rooms with everything clean 
and nice about the bed and furniture, we partook 
of the best breakfast which we had eaten since 
we left home. 

(The Algonquin House is somewhat on the 
country style, but just the place where parties 
from a great city can enjoy themselves.) 

Phil appeared at the breakfast-table in a sub- 
dued mood. He began to realize what a fool he 
had made of himself the previous evening and he 
felt small, but he did not think that his lesson was 
the same in kind, only different in degree, as that 
which all have to learn before they know how to 
travel. He did acknowledge, however, that if he 
ever lived to get home, and should contemplate 
another tour, he would not take along so much 
confounded luggage. 

94 



ENCOUNTER IVITH A BEAR 95 

The team was soon at the door, and we piled in 
with all our trumpery, including Phil's gun, which 
we could not induce him to leave behind. Our 
driver, a colored boy, who proved to be quite in- 
telligent, was able to tell us all about the differ- 
ent kinds of trees, birds and wild beasts. The 
early ride was delightful. As we ascended the 
hills where the morning sun beamed upon us, it 
seemed to smile with a tenderness that gladdened 
our spirits. Then descending by a narrow, winding 
way, we found ourselves in a little vale where the 
soft waters of the bubbling stream emerged from 
the little grove of alders and formed a clear pool, 
in which several species of brook fish made their 
home. 

On either side we could see and hear the 
voices of the feathered songsters, from the little 
every-day brown bird to the glossy, black-eyed 
blue jay, and although we could not catch them, 
as they flitted here and there and sang their sweet 
mountain songs, with no tinge of care or sorrow in 
its echo, it made us happy. 

As we climbed the rugged hills we ran on 
afoot and gathered wild liowers. I gathered a 
large handful of juniper bushes which weie so 
loaded with pretty berries it seemed a pity to 
throw them away. 



96 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

There is something about "Morning in tlie 
Mountains" which I am wholly unable to describe: 
a glad feeling; — an assurance that God is so boun- 
tiful; — a realization that He, with ease, creates, 
that which we with a struggle, vainly attempt to 
appreciate. Then, to add to my enjoyment, the 
brooks, hills, valleys, flowers and songsters re- 
minded me of "my childhood's happy home," in 
old New England; where the mountains tear 
their picturesque forms in such majestic grandeur; 
where the valleys teem with squirrels, birds and 
wild flowers; and where (methinks) the sun shines 
brighter than in any other land. 

We traveled seven or eight miles before we ar- 
rived at Silver Creek, where we were to fish. On 
the way our driver gave us many object lessons 
concerning the names of the streams, trees, and 
flowers, and at last began to talk about bears 
Phil had been taking things in a matter of fact 
way, until the bear question came up; then his 
anxiety was aroused, and while he professed not 
to be afraid of a bear, still he asked many queer 
questions, especially as to how the monsters killed 
people. 

"How do they kill?" he said. "Do they hug a fel- 
low to death at once, or do they just hug up close 
and then begin to eat from off the top.?" 




I gathered a large handful of juniper bushes.— Page 95. 



ENCOUNTER IVITH A BEAR 99 

Arriving at the fishing ground, we all agreed 
that the morning's ride, itself, had well paid us 
for the expense of the entire tiip. Our driver in- 
structed us to fish down the stream until we came 
to a bridge, and he would meet us there at 5 
o'clock in the evening. He then drove away, and 
Phil reminded us that we were in the Canadian 
forest, eight miles east of the "Soo," and fifty 
miles west of the nearest settlement, with no in- 
tervening houses, except a few that belonged to 
squatters and now and then an Indian shanty. 

Working our way through the thicket, we soon 
came upon a clear running brook, which trickled 
this way and that through the dense forest. In 
many places where the water flowed over a broad 
incline of shining pebbles, it was not more than 
six inches deep, while in others it formed pools 
three or four feet deep and several rods wide. 

Across the stream, fallen logs lie in every direc- 
tion, while on either side the ground is covered with 
a dense growth of underbrush It didn't look much 
like a place to fish, as the hooks would float under 
the logs and get tangled and, the slightest jerk of 
the line would throw them into the branches over- 
head, but we decided to try our luck. Sam had 
his hooks baited first, and dropping them into a 



100 EIGHT D^YS OUT 

dark nook, felt the pole tremble and jerking it up 
quickly he swung two nice trout over the limb. 

They looked nice up there, and we were elated to 
think that we had caught two already, but in try- 
ing to get them down it scared all the other fish, 
and we did not get them down at that. At last 
he pulled the limb dov/n almost to him, when the 
line broke, and I presume that the fish are up there 
yet. 

We were troubled in this way all day; first 
our hooks would get caught under a log, then we 
would throw them over a limb, then the butt of 
our fish poles would get caught under the roots of 
a tree. Then the bark would slip from a wet, rotten 
log, letting one of us down straddle of it, to stop 
so suddenly as to almost dislocate the spinal col- 
umn. 

Sometimes we would wade in the stream 
and then we would try the bank, and whichever 
route one took he would wish he had taken the 
other, but to say that it was good fishing, does not 
half express it. There were no other fish in the 
brook except the speckled trout, and they were 
not large, as the largest we caught did not v.eigh 
over a quarter of a pound, but one could catch 
enough for a fry in a few minutes. 



ENCOUNTER IVITH A BE/1R 101 

We went laughing, talking and splashing 
along, and did not half try to fish, and still 
our count for the day was 229 nice speckled 
trout. Several times we found tracks in the 
sand where some large animal had been down 
to the water's edge, but on examination we de- 
cided it to be the tracks of a large dog, which prob- 
ably accompanied some band of courageous sports- 
men, like ourselves. It made Phil quite nervous, 
but as the day wore on he forgot himself and be- 
came enthusiastic over the good luck we were 
having. 

I was the only one that was accustomed to the 
woods, and explained to them that we were not 
traveling as fast as it seemed. The bridge we were 
heading for was about five miles from where we 
started in, and when we stopped to eat our lunch 
I do not think we had covered one and one half 
miles, and yet they insisted that we must be almost 
there. All day long I was ahead, knowing what 
we had before us; Phil was away behind, complain- 
ing that we did not catch one quarter of the fish 
that we might; while Billy and Sam made less 
noise and caught more fish. 

About three o'clock Sam surprised us by 
holding up a fiask of old bourbon whisky. We 



102 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

were very tired and wet, and it looked mighty 
tempting I braced up and spoke my little piece, 
how that I had always made it a rule, never to 
indulge, except in the evening, but I waded 
right back and was easily pursuaded to partake 
of the forbidden fruit, and Phil drank even 
more moderately than myself, owing to the fact 
of his not getting there until I had imbibed. 

Phil took occasion to mention that he had 
been startled several times by hearing the bushes 
crack, which must have been caused by some large 
animal, and he doubted very much if the tracks 
we had seen were dog tracks. 

"Wolves," he said, "were the most treacherous 
animals on earth, and if there were two hundred 
within a stone's throw of us, we would not know 
it two minutes before we were eaten up hide and 
hair." 

I took it upon myself to expound wolf-ology; 
how that they had never been known to attack 
any one in the day time; that they were like owls 
and cats which traveled in the dark. Sam re- 
marked that it was about as dark as ni^ht, which 
was true, for although the sun was shining brightly 
yet the forest was so dense overhead that only 
now and then could we see a streak of its welcome 



ENCOUN TER IVI TH A BEAR 1 03 

light. The stream was getting wider as we de- 
scended, and if such a thing could be, the fish more 
plentiful, and we had already more than would 
likely be dressed. 

Phil examined his gun and declared his inten- 
tion of working his way to the bridge, as we were 
due there at 5 o'clock, and it was already after 
three. He had managed, thus far, by crossing the 
brook back and forth, and picking his way through 
the under brush which lined the banks, to get 
along without getting much wet. Sam and Billy 
were soaked to their knees, and I had accidentally 
sat down in the brook several times, so we decided 
to keep on paddling down the stream, occasionally 
dropping our hooks into the little dark pools, and 
capturing the funny little speckled inhabitants of 
that clear running brook. We had been fishing 
perhaps ten minutes, when we heard the report 
of a gun, and Phil's well known voice as he shouted: 
"A bear, a bear!" then another report, and he 
came rushing through the thicket and plunged 
headlong into the creek, in which he lost his hat, 
gun and everything that was not fastened to his 
person. He did not stay there long, for he was 
not sure that his antagonist was dead. At first 
he had the drop on the bear, but now, having dis- 



104 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

charged both barrels of his gun, if the bear followed 
he would have the drop on Mr. Parkins, and to 
be dropped upon by a she-bear was an adventure 
which he did not hanker for. 

Phil understood the unscrupulous character 
of the enemy that was bringing up the rear, 
and he made some desj^erate moves, as a man 
will make when he is trying to run forward, while 
he is looking backward, expecting to see that 
which he hopes he will not see. 

We could not see into the thicket, but could seethe 
bushes shake and hear the limbs crack, but it was 
impossible to know whether the animal vvas com- 
ing towards us, going from us, or rolling around 
in the throes of death. We raised our fish poles 
as weapons of djfense and shouted to him to run 
to us for protection. I hardly know just how we 
expected to protect him, for we had nothing with 
which to defend ourselves, unless it was our re- 
volvers, and they were wet and might not have 
been of any use. I think, that as 1 had bragged 
so much about my being a dead shot, they all re- 
lied upon me to do the killing, but, somehow — just 
then — well, I felt too bashful to assume the respon- 
sibility, and my legs, which are my best friends in 
a case of emergency, advised a hasty retreat. 



ENCOUNTER fVITH A BEAR ]07 

For once, in my life, I thanked my lucky stars 
that I had been brought up in the mountains, and 
had learned to run faster in the thicket than in the 
straight road, and a ray of hope dawned on my 
mind as I thought how grateful Phil would be if I 
left my fish pole for his protection, while I rushed 
forward to give the alarm. 

While we hesitated we heard a strange sound 
in the bushes on the opposite bank, and we 
made a wild break into the woods on the same 
side of the stream which Phil came from. 
This was an imprudent move, but we made 
it without consideration, as one is liable to do 
when his composure has been disturbed. We 
struggled through the under-bush and struck a 
hard beaten path, when to our horror we en- 
countered something coming directly toward us. 
It was running, and apparently following the path. 
At the first ghmpse we discovered that it was 
black, and the awful realization that our fishing ex- 
cursion had terminated in a bloody tragedy, loomed 
up before us, and we took advantage of the last act 
to display the grandeur of our heroic natures before 
the curtain fell. Our revolvers did not come in 
play for two reasons: first, we were too far away 
to have the bullets take effect; second, we did not 



108 EIGHT D/lYS OUT 

care to wait until the animal came near. I plunged 
into the bushes where it was so dense that I could 
not see three feet i head of my ncse, and they fol- 
lowed. 

I fell over a big log where the grass seemed to 
have been trodden down, and Sam and Bill fell on 
top of me. Before we had tiir.e to realize it, the 
animal was upon us, over us, passed us and gone. 
As it passed out of sight, over the little hill, I 
noticed that it had a long tail which stuck straight 
up in the air. I at once began to mistrust — as 
the panorama of imagination was gently with- 
drawn, and the avenues of reason again opened up 
before me, I felt funny. I wondered if the gen- 
ealogy of the Richardson family had ever before 
produced such a striking illustration of heroism. 
We were not long in doubt as to what kind of 
an animal it was, for soon we discovered that in 
tumbling over the log we had landed on the calves' 
stamping ground^ and we were daubed from head 
to foot. When we returned to the brook and re- 
lated our findings to Phil, he said: 

" There, I thought it was the first bear that I 
had ever seen with horns." 

It was then after four o'clock and we were wet, 
tired and hungry, and hadn't a drop of stimulant 



ENCOUNTER IVITH A BEAR 109 

tc shorten the journey, so we started down the 
stream Indian hie. I led the way, and it was a 
rough, long and serious one, but we reached the 
bridge at last, and while we were waiting for tl e 
team we began summing up. 

Phil's necktie, not proving to be fast colors, 
had stained his shirt bosom until it looked as 
if he had had the nosebleed; besides, he had 
lost his hat. Sam, in his rush for safety over 
the log, had broken both suspenders and ripped 
one pant leg almost to his body. Billy looked 
very well for a wet man, but during the excite- 
ment of tr3ing to escape from the bear, he had 
lest his revolver, ana eaten so many berries (of 
which the bushes were loaded) that he said he felt 
awfully squeamish I had run my nose against a 
dry limb, which made it look and feel very uncom- 
fortable, and 1 was also daubed up with several 
kinds of stain, the cattle stain being the most prom- 
inent shade; besides, the set was all taken out cf 
my new pants, and they did not look as fresh as 
the ones I left on the tar barrel. 

"The anticipation," said Sam, *'of all kinds of 
adventures must be far greater than the reali- 
zation " 

"But," said Billy, "when we come to relate the 



no EIGHT DAYS OUT 

thrilling adventure — there is where the fun will 
come in." 

"Fun!" broke in Phil, "do you call it fun to go 
home and tell a lie about this business? Certainly 
it won't do to tell the truth. Honestly, boys, I 
would not have experienced the fright I got from 
that cursed calf for five hundred dollars, to say 
nothing of going in swimming, with my clothes on, 
so mighty unexpectedly. Then to think that I 
have been practicing with a rifle for the last four 
months until I could hit a bull's eye two hundred 
yards, and when I came face to face with a brown 
calf, not more than twenty feet from me, I blazed 
away and missed her. Great Scott, Bill, you can 
tell about your thrilling adventures, but I shall 
keep still. What do you think, M. A. .-'" 

"Well, really," I said, "I don't know. I am a 
great hand for fun, and nothing is more comical 
than to hear a man tell a joke on himself, now 
you see — " 

"Wait a bit," said Phil. "Now M. A., you can 
tell all the jokes on yourself that you please, but 
you will do me an especial favor to leave my name 
out. I am already the victim of one little joke 
that has cost me three bottles of wine and any 
number of boxes of candy; besides, such things are 



ENCOUNTER IVITH A BEAR m 

SO extremely en barrassing, especially if one is 

tr>ing to appear genteel. 

"Sometimes the ladies where I room have callers, 
and on such occasions thev often invite me in to 
h^ve a game of euchre. If I get interested in a 
lady or gentleman, perhaps on some seiious subject, 
they aie sure to begin to talk about full moon, and 
Oh, how quickly it makes me begin to sweat. I 
honestly believe that I have perspired more than 
ten barrels of moisture over that "full moon bus- 
iness." 

"What about the full moons.?" we all inquired. 

"O, it was nothing," said he, "nothing compared 

to this bear business, and still people have teased 

me unmercifully abcut it. Now isn't my plan the 

best, M. A.?" 

"Oh, Phil, if I could not tell the story when I 
get back to Chicago, I should not live through the 
winter. Why, Phil, if I had your chromo, taken 
just as you looked when you emerged from the 
woods, with that she-bear at your heels, I would 
call it, 'The Lucky Escape,' and use it to—" 

"Hold on there!" broke in Phil, "if w^e had yours 
taken when you were fast to the tar barrel, we 
would name it, 'The Unlucky Hold.'" 

"Yes," said Sam, "but wouldn't it be more life- 



112 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

like if taken just as we were extracting him from 
his pants?" 

"Why didn't we think," said Bill, "to buy the 
tar barrel, pants and all, and take them back to 
Chicago, and have them placed in the Dime 
Museum?" 

"The barrel could be exhibited with the pants 
grown fast to it, and M. A. could stand on the plat- 
form without the pants on, and - " 

Just then Phil, who had been lying on the grass, 
sprang to his feet, and yelled "Help! Help!" as he 
rushed into the rtjad, his face presenting a picture 
of contortions such as I had never before \^itnesr,ed. 
Jast as it happened. Bob, our teamster, who had 
come to take us home, arrived, and we all rushed 
to Phil's assistance. 

My first thought was that his heart had been 
pierced by a bullet from one of those noiseless 
air guns, and that his murderer was a skulking 
Indian. But Sam, who was well informed on 
all subjects, seemed also to understand how fits 
attacked people, and he cried, "Lay him on his 
back! lay him on his back!" 

"Oh,don't! Oh, don't!" roared Phil. "Get it out, 
get it out! or I shall die! Its — " 

Then he began grating his teeth like a raving 



ENCOUNTER IVITH A BEAR 115 

maniac, while he gripped hold of his clothes until 
the muscles on his arms, and the cords in his 
neck, stood out like ox-bows. I caught his glassy 
eyes as he gasped. 

"M. A., have mercy on me, get me a knife and 
cut—" 

Then a new fit seemed to seize him and he 
changed one hand to another position and gripped 
harder than before. All the while he was holding 
on to his pants leg, near his body, and as we 
threw him on his back it made matters worse, as 
he appeared to have lost his grip, and was strug- 
gling to get a new hold on his back, then around 
on his left side, near his heart, and I concluded 
that the disease was working towards his vitals, 
where it would culminate in instant death. 

Again he called for a knife, and I concluded that 
he wanted me to cut his throat and put him out 
of his misery, and of course I stood dumfounded. 

Bill took in the situation more reasonably, 
and thought that he wanted his neck band cut, as 
he was suffocating. Drawing his hunting knife, 
which he had forgotten in the bear scrape, he 
began ripping open the back of his coat and 
vest and we soon had him partially disrobed, 
when out ran a little green snake about eight 



116 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

inches long. We looked at each other in astonish- 
ment, but the picture had been so awfully real 
that we could not smile, or at least, not until 
reaction had set in. Again we had been the victims 
of a horrible fright, and still we could not blame 
Phil, for all will agree, that to have a snake wriggle 
up one's spinal column, even though it be a small 
snake, would produce a mighty unpleasant sensa- 
tion. 

After the excitement was over I turned to 
luok for the things we had left on the bank, and 
to my surprise, everything was gone, the fishing 
tackle, Sam's shoes, and our lovely string of fish. 
Down the road we discovered two half-breed In- 
dians, escaping with our property, whom we did 
not have the courage to follow, so we lost all of 
our game. After we had gotten Phil's clothes 
togged up we started for the "Soo," hardly pre- 
pared to boast "Fisherman's Luck," as many tour> 
ists are able to do. 



PHILIP GETS LEFT 



When we arrived at the Algonquin, Phil began 
to fidget about his washing which he had left the 
previous morning at a laundry on the west side. 

As our boat was to leave at 8 o'clock in the 
morning he concluded that he might not have time 
to attend to it then, so he decided to go and get it 
at once. Returning later, he informed us that the 
laundry was closed and he could not learn where 
the folks lived. I relieved his anxiety by prom- 
ising to wake him early in the morning that he 
might go in search of his linen, while I would go 
to the hotel and have his baggage taken to the boat. 
This arrangement did not exactly please him, for 
his nature was late to bed and late to rise, but it 
was the only thing to be done, so he consented. 
About half past four o'clock the sun peeped in 
through the lace curtains and I sang out: 

"Hello, Phil!" 

117 



i\S EIGHT DAYS OUT 

"A-h-w," was the responsive grunt, and I con- 
tinued: 

"Phil!" 

"Yaw- aw- aw- aw," and his voice died away like 
the sound of a distant express train as it enters 
the underground tunnel. 

"Phil! Phil!" said I sharply. 

"Yes! yes!" was his quick reply, and he actually 
drew up one leg and then continued his snoring. 

"Snore away then," said I, "this is the last call 
for breakfast, and I have no doubt that you will 
get left, as it is only about twenty minutes before 
the boat leaves. I shan't call you again." 

"Why! why! I didn't think it was late," said he 
as he rose to his elbow; then catching a glimpse 
of the sun he said: 

"Certainly, M. A., you must be exaggerating 
now, for the sun is but just over the hill, and I 
can't afford to be hustled out in this way for the 
sake of a few linens." 

"Then what did you bring them for.?" I inquired. 

"Bring them for.?" said he," why, I brought them 
to wear; do you think a man can travel without 
shirts.?" 

"Buy a clean one when you need it," said I. 

"Buy a clean one.'". said he, "why, don't you 



PHILIP GETS LEFT 119 

know that any garment that fits me at the shoul- 
ders trails on the floor, and if I should buy a dozen 
I could not use them when I got home." 

"Then," says I, "you could use them as sleeping 
gowns or you could lend them to the women folks 
to wear as over-all when they dusted the parlors." 

"How indecent I" he exclaimed as he rose up 
in bed. "Do you think that I would insult a lady 
by—" 

"Nonsense," says I, "You are a cranky old 
bachelor and don't want to be accommodating ;you 
know that any little thing like the loan of a gar 
ment from a gentleman like you, would be appre- 
ciated by — " 

"Do shut up," said he as he bounded out of bed 
and touched the bell for the servant who was to 
prepare his early breakfast. 

I now realized that I had him thoroughly aroused 
and I began to snicker. 

"Laugh," said he; "you think you have said 
something cunning, but I want you to understand 
that I respect tho ladies and would not deride 
them." 

"Are you mad, PhiP" said I. 

"No'p," was the quick response, as he began 
jerking away at his pants. 



120 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

"Phil," said I in a conciliating tone, "I have 
half a notion to go down to breakfast with you." 

"If you would 1 should enjoy it very much," he 
said as he began to smile. 

As we entered the dining room he said, "I am so 
thankful, M. A., that you kept at me until you got 
me up, for I surely should have overslept had you 
not got me mad." 

After Sam, Billy and myself had landed his bag- 
gage safely on the steamboat we seated ourselves 
on deck to enjoy the cool of the morning while we 
waited for our companion. We did not expect 
him early, as we presumed the laundry would not 
be open before 7 o'clock, but when 7:30 came we 
began to get anxious and made inquiries as to just 
what time the boat would leave. The captain in- 
formed us that it would start precisely at 8 o'clock, 
and if we had a friend ashore we had better be 
looking him up. He said he would sound the last 
call five minutes before he pulled in the plank, 
which would give us time to run from any part of 
the village. As we were talking Phil arrived, all 
out of breath, saying that the drones at the laun- 
dry had not put in an appearance, but he had 
learned where they lived which was back on the 
bluffs, to which pla^e Sam volunteered to run and 



PHILIP GETS LEFT 121 

rout them out. Billy and I accompanied him to 
the laundry, which we found open, but was in pos- 
session of the laundry girls, who knew nothing 
about the business, but, as Phil afterwards said, 
were good girls, who naturally felt interested in a 
gentleman's behalf. 

There were five or six of them, all young, buxom 
lasses who had not arrived at that uncertain age 
from where man is looked upon suspiciously. 

With mirthful faces they hurried around, bring- 
ing on all the different packages, reading the 
names of those that were marked and allowing Phil 
to examine those which had no name on them. 
Phil conducted the examination with as much care 
as a lawyer would examine an abstract, while he 
expounded to them some kind of shirtology which 
I could not hear, but seemed to enlist their sym- 
pathy. Not finding it, one of them suggested that 
it might have been sent aiound to the hotel, where 
we had been stopping. It was then near 8 o'clock 
and we told Phil that we must leave at once, but 
I volunteered to run around to the hotel while they 
looked over the packages once more. Upon my 
return they had found the right package, which he 
had sorted out and laid on the counter. It agreed 
with his count, but he was not satisfied that it was 



122 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

his, as the neck band looked too small, so he sug- 
gested that he be allowed to step into a side room 
and try it on. The girls explained that there were 
no adjoining rooms to the laundry, but one of them 
suggested that they measure the neck band, as she 
had a tape measure handy, while another eager 
assistant quickly produced the yardstick, and both 
hastily proceeded to fulfill the requirements at the 
same time. Girl No. i took no chances on math- 
ematical calculations, but ran the tape, the best she 
could, around the band, then nipping the exact 
spot with her thumb and finger she ran to the light 
and began calling out: "Exactly eighty-four — 
eighty-five, eighty-two — no, wait a moment — 
exactly — eighty-seven, eighty-six — eighty-one, 
eighty-two. 

"Yes, that's right, exactly eighty-four and three- 
sixteenths inches." The announcement caused us 
to burst out laughing, which much disturbed Phil 
and greatly embarrassed the girl, who had evidently 
measured from the wrong end of the tape line. 
Girl No. 2 in the meantime had placed her yard- 
stick across the top of the band and then multi- 
plied the diameter by, I think she said, three and 
two-elevenths and thirty-nine and one-ninth of 
sixty-one four-thousands (3 2-11 and ^g \-goi6i- 



PHILIP GETS LEFT 125 

4000), which ^ave the result as eight and twenty- 
two sixteenths inches (8 22-16), with a fraction to 
spare. 

"Parkins," said I, and I spoke sharp enough to 
cause a mastiff to crouch, "do you know that it is 
seven minutes to eight?" 

He didn't scare worth a cent, but turning to me 
began: 

"Mr. R — ,1 have heretofore regarded you as a 
gentleman who was able to control — " 

"Try on your shirt! if you want to," exclaimed 
Billy, at the same time starting towards him, as if 
he intended to enforce the issue, but even that did 
not phase him, for turning to him he calmly said: 

"Outrageous — then you propose a change of 
linen in the presence of — " 

"Mr. Perkins," softly ventured girl No. i, who 
had apparently found the other end of her tape 
line, "I—" 

"Parkins, if you please, not Perkins; the Per- 
kins' and the Parkins' are two distinct families, 
although I have been informed that the two names 
originated — " 

''''Boo zvoo zuoo ziwOy^'' came the sound from the 
steamer's whistle, and we three started on a run 
towards the dock, leaving our unfortunate (or for- 



126 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

tunate) friend among the pretty girls. As we ran 
away Phil followed us into the street and cried 
out: 

"I will take the overland train and meet you at 
the Mackinac Landing." 



VOYAGE THROUGH ETERNITY, AMONG 
OTHER WORLDS. 



The "Manitou" was due in Chicago at 7 o'clock 
p. M., but owing to some disarrangements in her 
machinery, was about eight hours late. 

Some two hundred passengers were on board, 
many of whom were from Chicago. We had be- 
come acquainted with several tourist parties who 
were also on their way home, and a general ge- 
niality prevailed, which caused us to extend the 
evening into the morning hours. 

Even then we were loth to retire, as we knew 
that this was our last evening out, and that on the 
morrow we should be back in our old tracks, where 
one day is not unlike another. Day after day we 
eat at the same table, walk the same streets, sleep 
in the same bed, see the same faces, and go the 
usual rounds of life. And although it may be the 
kind of existence which we were destined for, still 

127 



128 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

this wearing away of life, e;ich day like so many 
ticks of the clock, click, click, click, produces a 
feeling in the human heart which often causes the 
most intelligent to pause and say: 

"For whit was I made— is this all there is to life? 
— if so, it would have been better that I had existed 
without knowledge; that this poor human heart 
had never known the sorrow which we so painfully 
realize, or the happiness which seems to pass be- 
fore us like golden rays of light, softene d by the 
mists of some unseen fountain of love, but which 
ever exists beyond our sphere." 

I was playing a six handed game with a party 
from La Porte, Ind , all of whom were well-informed, 
and being on their return from an extensive tour in 
the Lake Superior regions, gave us some interest- 
ing accounts of their travels. I was just aching 
to tell of our encounter with the bear, but Phil sat 
near looking so genteel, and as his soft blue eye 
caught my sharp glance he appeared to appeal to 
my sympathy, not to indulge in any of my ('as he 
considered) exaggerations. 

"Co ne this way, Mr. Parkins," I said, "and let 
me introduce you to my new acquaintances." 

He executed his part of the formal introduc 
tion in that easy and graceful manner with which 



AMONG OTHER IVORLDS 129 

nature has gifted only a few persons. From 
his appearance, none would have thought that 
he had so recently been the victim of such teirible 
sea-sick upheavals; engaged in a fistic encounter 
with one of the Queen's guards; or chased by a 
real bear, so I did not mention the subject. 

As the conversation became more interesting the 
game began to drag, and we soon found ourselves 
holding our cards in our hands and listening to 
Professor Mott, of Hamburg, who had traveled ex- 
tensively in the interest of science, and was then 
on his way to the Rocky Mountains, where he 
hoped, owing to the clear, rare atmosphere, to be 
able to gain some additional knowledge of our sis- 
ter planet Venus. 

The professor was German not only by birth, 
but by nature. He saw no harm in a social game 
or a glass of wine. He spoke highly of the 
Puritan element which had given character and 
stability to the inhabitants of this new world, 
but he did not regard the Sabbath in just the light 
that they did, neither was he thoroughly orthodox 
in his religious views, but his faith in God was as 
simple as that of a child. 

"We exist now," he said, "we shall always 
exist; we are changing now, we shall always 



130 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

be changing. Our life here, brief as it is, tends 
to the higher. If we do right we move onward, 
upward and become better, purer and holier 
each day, but if we do wrong, downward, and it 
will ever be the same. I have spent my entire life," 
he continued, "in searching the house 'not made 
with hands,' and often while exploring new fields, 
when I discover the hitherto unknown glories of 
God's bountiful Kingdom, and my soul ventures 
out into the great unknown,! sometimes wish that 
I could linger there and not return to this feeble 
house of clay." 

He invited us on deck that he might explain to 
us some of the wonders of the Universe in which 
we exist, and of which our little world is such an 
insignificant atom. 

"I have not the power of God, and I cannot ex- 
plain the mysteries of the heavens," he said as we 
rose to follow him, "but I can point out to you 
some facts of the existence of God's hand which 
you who have not had an opportunity to investi- 
gate, probably might not believe. I perceive now 
that when I attempt to prove to you that other 
worlds are inhabited, some of you may doubt, but 
you ought not, as the proof is so positive that it 
not only viigJit be so, but it could not be other- 
wise. 



^MONG OTHER IVORLDS 131 

"Scientists have learned that similar causes pro- 
duce similar effects. For instance, when we find a 
cause in one part of the earth which produces a 
certain effect, we have found that the same cause, 
under the same conditions, will produce the same 
effect on another part of the earth. In the bottom 
of the sea, up in the cloud, or on the land, the law 
never fails. Christ, the great law-giver of our 
world, said it was so, and so we find it." 

All strangers as we were, we seated ourselves so 
huddled together that it appeared quite like a 
family circle. We joked and talked as freely as 
old acquaintances, and in fact we were friends, 
for often a friendship formed under such circum- 
stances, even if we were never to meet again, 
gives the kind one a place in the stranger's heart, 
ever to linger there. 

"My dear friends," said the professor, as he be- 
gan to unfold a small roll of maps, "this map gives 
the supposed shape, or appearance of the universe, 
as it would appear to one viewing from outer 
space. 

"This may, or may not be the appearance, but 
from the fact that astronomers have found the 
starry depths to be more densely populated in cer- 
tain directions than others, has led them to believg 



132 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

that the Universe may be shaped something lilie 
an egg. Living on this earth, as we do, and look- 
ing out into the great heavens, the appearance to 
our human eye is that we Kve on the central, and 
only great world in the Universe. Around us sails 
a beautiful orb, called the Moon. This lovely es- 
cort is not able to make the entire trip in one day, 
but lags behind about one hour, and has been trav- 
eling in that way for unknown ages. Around this 
world, also moves another, a different and more 
powerful orb, but it is farther away from us, and 
each morning as it makes its appearance, the in- 
habitants have become accustomed to call it one 
day. Ouside of these two bodies we look upon a 
shell, or globe which also seems to circle around 
us, and when the sun does not dazzle our eyes, we 
can see that it is thickly studded with bright lights, 
or holes through the canopy into the regions of 
light. Five of these bright lights appear to be on 
the move, but their movements are unimportant, 
except that at certain periods they return to their 
former positions. For hundreds and perhaps 
thousands of generations the majority of the hu- 
man inhabitants believed that this was the true 
state of affairs. As the ages rolled on, God sent 
unbelievers into this world who said, 'Let us in- 



AMONG OTHER IVORLDS 133 

vestigate,and if we find that things are not as they 
appear, we may find a path which will lead us in 
the right direction.' 

"But the wise men objected and said, 'If you 
dare doubt these sacred truths, as handed down 
by our forefathers, we will brand you as an enemy 
to the human family, and will have you put to 
death.' The so-called wise men of those days 
objected to investigation on the ground that it was 
a blow aimed to destroy the truth. 

"They took precisely the same ground as many 
of the so-called great men of the churches of this 
world take to-day, who through their influence have 
caused the church to exclude from communication 
some of the most intelligent of God's faithful ser- 
vants. I believe that the day is near at hand when 
science, simple science, will reveal to the human 
family that not only the soul exists after death, but 
that it holds communication with the soul of the 
living through a strange medium which, as yet, we 
are unable to comprehend. He or she who searches 
out the medium whereby one mind holds its influ- 
ence over another has struck the keynote, and the 
door will open. The departed will step in, brush 
aside the veil of darkness and reveal the fact that 
death is not, as we had supposed, our enemy, but 
is, and always was, our mutual friend. 



134 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

"Now, dear friends, the science of astronomy has 
taught us that nothing is as it appears, and able 
thinkers have long contended that death was gov- 
erned by the same law. God gave us our eyes and 
other senses as a local convenience for temporary 
use, but the mind must look for spiritual and eter- 
nal truths. 

"Thus we have learned that the moon and the 
sun do not rise and set, and the heavenly canopy 
does not move around us, but the world which 
appears to be standing still is revolving on its axis, 
which causes the deceit; that the moving stars are 
not wandering about aimlessly but are planets like 
our own, belonging to our solar system, and are 
doubtless inhabited like our own world; that 
the stars which we see in the heavens are not 
one millionth part of the stars which existed 
there; and that our world is only one of the mil- 
lions of millions of similar worlds which inhabit 
space, and that at least one of those worlds is in- 
habited. Now I propose to take you there and 
show you the strange people, which are not so un- 
like ourselves as one might expect them to be." 

The professor hesitated a moment, and then con- 
tinued thus: 

"One planet of all those millions in the great 




a 
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n 
<u 

o 

a 
ex 

in 



AMONG OTHER IVORLDS 13t 

heavens, we know to be the abode of human beings 
like ourselves. I say this because I am able to 
prove to your satisfaction that such is the case; not 
only can I show to you the world on which they 
live, but I can show you something of their habits 
and how they exist. It is not unlike the other 
worlds, but it is the only one that astronomers have 
been, as yet, able to explore. 

"In order to make it seem real to you, it is 
essential that you know in what part of God's 
Heavenly Universe that world is situated. As 
you move onward with me on the wings of 
thought, we shall be permitted to look to the 
right and to the left and see something of the 
glories of God, as they are seen and known to be, 
by scientists who spend their lives in search- 
ing out the marvelous truths and mighty wonders 
of the great universe to which we belong. 

"Suppose now," he said, as he held the map be- 
hind him and looked up into the heavens, "that we 
were far away beyond the stars of night. So far 
that this Universe looked like a cluster of minute 
shining specks. Then, on the wings of thought 
as we began to approach the cluster we discovered 
that the nearest of these bright points was mov- 
ing, and soon we saw that others were moving, 



138 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

and finally learned that none of them were station- 
ary, but that the entire cluster was working like a 
stupendous complicated mechanism, and that the 
speck-like points which we had first discovered were 
mighty glowing orbs, each surrounded by a great 
family of helpless offspring. 

"As we drew near, the great suns appeared 
to separate — great gaps opened up between 
them, until they stood out singly, millions 
of millions of miles apart. It was like entering 
a forest in which the trees, at a distance, seemed 
to be in one solid bunch, but as one passes the 
boundaries, single specimens appear on either 
side, and one hardly realizes that he is entering 
it until he finds himself among the great 
trees where the outlook is similar on all sides. 

"We were now gliding along on the wings 
of thought accompanied by an angel, who 
seemed to have joined us after we had entered 
the Universe, and like one in a dream, we 
did not wonder from whence he came, neither 
did we think it strange. We did not ques- 
tion his authority, neither were we startled 
when he explained that this boundless wealth of 
glory was to be our future home. Our hearts were 
sad when we learned that of all this mighty do- 



AMONG OTHER IVORLDS 139 

main, we would be permitted to explore only one 
tiny world, the one which we had started out to 
find. 

"Amidst that starry galaxy we paused, and for a 
moment our vision was expanded, that we might 
behold the heavens as they really exist. We saw 
that all the heavenly bodies were moving in elliptic 
or circular orbits and although they were crossing 
and re-crossing each other's paths, still there was 
no confusion. Exact law and harmony seemed 
blended together in such a way as to render sweet 
peace, that peace which we can conceive of only 
in absolute rest. The nearer globes appeared to be 
plunging through space with a rapidity of which 
we were unacquainted, while those farther away 
moved less rapidly and many were so far away 
that they appeared at rest. But we were informed 
that all were moving at a rate from 200 to 3,000 
miles a moment; carrying with them their train of 
planets and comets, which were huddled under 
the protecting wing of the great orb. 

"In some cases we saw double globes, or suns, 
which were revolving around each other, while the 
planets of each hovered around their own mother 
sun. Again three and four suns, then little groups 
appeared to be banded together, and lastly we dis- 



140 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

cerned that there were great star clusters, which 
we first supposed to have been single stars. Of these 
there were many hundred, and we were told that 
each cluster contained thousands of suns with 
their planets, all belonging to one family and trav- 
eling in one body, while the cluster itself was but 
one of the millions of orbs which take part in the 
infinite array of the heavenly hosts. 

"Just when we felt that our cup of wonder was, 
even now, full, greater glories we beheld. In many 
of those star systems, or clusters, we discovered 
that there were stars of all colors, like the many 
tints of the rainbow. In many instances they 
looked not unlike a casket of precious gems. 
There were green, red, yellow, purple, blue, or- 
ange, russet, lilac and probably all the colors with 
which we are acqainted,and it is readily conceived 
that the blending together of the different colors 
would form other colors, perhaps such as would 
be strange to us. 

"As we sped onward in search of that one world 
which we intended to explore, we looked above, 
below, around, and it was all the same. Some- 
times we passed through a wilderness of darkness 
which divided worlds of life, then passed great 
lights which were the source of life to the 



AMONG OTHER IVORLDS 141 

inhabitants of the worlds which traveled in that 
heavenly train. 

"We neared one of those star clusters and soon 
found ourselves passing through its very center. 
All the mighty chasms of darkness were seen no 
more; we were in the regions of eternal day. 

"We caught glimpses of those unknown worlds, 
on which were mountains whose tops were not 
bleak and cold, but clad in garlands of glorious life. 
On one side of the mountain the blue morning sun 
was beaming its soft tints over a peaceful bosom 
of enchanted nature, beneath which frolicked crys- 
tal streams adown the winding vales, which wider 
grew as they neared the heaving sea. On the 
other side the evening orange sun lingered upon 
the higher hill tops, causing dark shades in the 
deeper glens — valleys of peace - cradles of sweet 
rest. The sea heaved gentle swelling waves, tinted 
with dazzling hues from colored suns, upon the 
shores where precious gems reflected far the blend- 
ing harmony of an unknown world. 

"x\nd I said to the angel, 'Surely this must be 
the abode of eternal life. Oh that I could linger 
one moment and behold its loveliness, that I might 
never doubt again!' And the angel said: 'Look 
and thou shalt see,' 



142 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

"And I looked down through, as it were, a dark 
shady glen, but I could not see on either side. Far 
away in the distance I beheld a shady bower, in 
which stood men, women and children, waiting, — 
what they were waiting for I could not under- 
stand. Beyond, I saw a habitation where spires 
gleamed in dazzling array. Upon the border of 
that habitation I saw a stately mansion which was 
beautiful to look upon, and from it emerged a 
group of eight,— four of the stronger and four of the 
weaker sex, followed by a group of friends. Ten- 
derly in their hands they bore a burden of gar- 
lands gay, from which drooped wreaths of flower- 
ing vines, and as they neared the shady groves they 
rested the burden upon a mound of new-made 
earth . 

"While I gazed with wondering admiration they 
raised the vine-clad cover, exposing to my view a 
plain coffin, which four others lowered into the 
grave, and the friends which followed near bowed 
low with grief, and I conceived that they were 
human, and that the loveliness which surrounded 
their abode did not exempt them from pain and 
death. 

"My heart was sad and I turned to the angel and 
asked: 



AMONG OTHER. IVORLDS 143 

"^Of all these countless worlds of glory is there 
not one where light and life reigns supreme over 
darkness and death?' The angel replied: 

'"Eternal life is for all; death is the great de- 
liverer from the bonds of clay. All suffering or- 
iginates in the material body; all happiness in the 
spiritual body; blessed are they whose sufferings 
are over. Rough rolling waves purify the water; 
cold boisterous winds purify the atmosphere; and 
suffering and sorrow purify the soul; why ad: 
thou sad?' 

"I turned to look at the beautiful world once 
more, but it was far away and we were continuing 
our journey through space 

"Emerging from that region of eternal day, we 
soon found ourselves passing over immense depths 
of darkness again, where often a strange feeling 
came over us, as if we were near some majestic 
tomb of the sleeping dead, and I wondered if we 
might not be near some slumbering sun, which had 
lived its life of ten million times ten million years; 
whose fires of youth had not only ceased to 
shine, but its embers of old age had at last ceased 
to glow, and now it was passing, with all its satel- 
lites, through that strange scene we call death. 
Sleeping, waiting in that dreamless state of peacQ 



144 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

until it should be called forth to that brighter, 
higher life than that of its former existence. 

"As we flitted over heaven's boundless domain 
we often neared great solar systems whose strange 
but beautiful light cheered our path for an instant, 
then we were in starlight again. 

" Weary of our journey through the great heavens 
we found our course directing us towards a solitary 
sun, and not a large sun, for there were many much 
more brilliant than the one we were approaching. 
Between us and the system where we hoped to ex- 
plore the strange world, was a mighty chasm — a 
noiseless, cold, starlight void. Across this awful 
void the distance was so great that a body, if trav- 
eling ten million miles a moment, could not ac- 
complish the journey in ten years, and still while 
crossing this dark abyss we met a heavenly nomad 
plodding along its lonely journey. 

"As the strange object approached us, we dis- 
covered it to be a great company of small material 
worlds traveling on together. The number of 
these tiny worlds was countless; the space occu- 
pied for them to pass was thousands of miles, and 
the length of the train was many times more than 
its breadth and depth. I turned to the angel and 
inquired; 



y^MONG OTHER IVORLDS 145 

" 'Where did they come from; where are they go- 
ing; what attraction keeps them from separating; 
and what power impels them on?* 

"He answered, 'God.'" 



INHABITANTS OF A STRANGE WORLD 



"After passing the stranger (comet) we bore down 
upon the solar system, one of whose worlds 
we were to explore, and see, and converse with 
the strange inhabitants. As we neared the mighty 
orb a dazzling light shone upon us and we could 
distinctly see the planets plying their course around 
the central light. Some of the planets were beau- 
tiful, being adorned with golden bands and sur- 
rounded by a family of satellites of their own. 

"Only one of the planets were we permitted to 
visit and from what we learned there we must judge 
of what might be found on the millions of others. 
From the direction in which we came we dis- 
covered that the world was white — it glimmered 
in the far-off starlight like one vast sea of glass. 

"It seemed to have but one motion, that of being 
hurled forward on its course around the sun, but 
as we came nearer we discovered a tiny dark body 
nestling close to it, and soon we could see that the 

146 



l}^ HA BIT ANTS OF A STRANGE IVORLD 147 

world was whriling around on its axis like a top. 

"The sea of glass did not extend over the entire 
planet, but a great belt around the center of it 
was strewn with lakes, rivers and oceans, which 
covered a great part of the globe, but the remain- 
der was land. The land consisted of hills, valleys, 
mountains and plains, which were the abode of 
many kinds of animals. Some of the animals were 
small, others large; some were blind, others could 
see; some had one mouth, others had a hundred. 
They flew, hopped, ran and swam. Some of them 
had more than a hundred legs and some less; six- 
teen, twelve, eight, six, four, two, and some had 
no legs at all. 

"Human beings walked the earth who spoke 
many strange languages, but for the time we were 
permitted to understand them. The world was 
small, or at least so, compared to those we had 
viewed in the distance. The inhabitants, as a lot, 
were strange creatures, but the human family, al- 
though many of them were small in stature, being 
not two feet tall, yet some of them were very in- 
telligent. The large ones appeared to govern the 
small ones, but they did not, as a rule, harm them, 
but were often found protecting them at the hazard 
of their own lives. 



148 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

"Many of the people wore garments made of 
grass, herbs and bushes, others used those made of 
animals, and in some cases they ground the grasses 
and the animals in together, which made quite a 
nobby suit, worn very extensively by the fair 
sex. 

"Some of the animals ate each other and others 
lived on herbs, but the people lived on both, al- 
though they did not eat the animals when they 
were alive. 

"The people were black — black as jet, except 
those who had apparently changed their color. 
It appeared that the human inhabitants had been 
introduced on the world in primeval days when 
the world was enveloped in a foggy cloud, which 
caused it to be dark, and their color was intended 
to compare with the surroundings, but as the 
world became lighter the people began to bleach 
out, until the more energetic were white, and some 
had pink eyes and white hair. 

"Their laws were badly complicated, especially 
their civil laws. They seemed to me to be a kind 
of circulating medium to absorb the means of two 
aggrieved parties. As long as each party provided 
means to keep their part of the machinery well 
greased the case could continue on, sometimes 



Inhabitants OF A STRANGE ivoRLD ]40 

through an entire generation, or until it rotted out 
or died with old age, but if either party failed to 
furnish the wherewith of course the other won his 
case. 

"Their governors were absolute monarchs, or 
at least had been, but later on the monarchs be- 
came figure-heads. Even then it did not work 
satisfactorily, for if a fool happened to be born heir 
to the throne, and chanced to be cursed with lon- 
gevity, why of course the subjects had to swallow 
his doings. They took their medicine very well, 
but I presume it often left a bad taste in their 
mouths. 

"Some countries were governed hy pnll. That 
is, all the officials were elected or chosen to fill 
all political positions, and the people being divided, 
each party put up such men for election as could 
pull the most votes. Honor or intelligence was 
not, necessarily, one cf the requirements of a can- 
didate, it was simply /;///. Whoever was elected 
was so hampered with his preparations for the/;/// 
of re-election that he had little time for serving the 
people. The v^omen didn't vote, I don't know 
whether it was because they didn't know enough, 
or because they knew too much, probably the 
latter; but still if they ever expect to have better 
laws, they must take a hand in the matter. 



150 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

"The people acted strangely; although they 
knew that they were to live but a few days, yet 
their great aim was to possess; to gather to them- 
selves that which they well understood would soon 
be taken from them. A sense of greed seemed to 
possess the souls of many. Few cculd be found 
who would acknowledge this^ but fewer still who 
did not practice deception for the sake of gain. 
The great masses used their gain to make them- 
selves and their neighbors happy, but the two ex- 
tremes were bad: on the one hand were the ones 
who, single handed, took that which belonged to 
others because they were too lazy to work and earn 
it themselves; on the other hand were the greater 
sinners who joined themselves together to buy the 
products of the earth, not only the grain and the 
ores, but the accumulated wealth of the wage- 
earners, at a fair compensation, and then held 
them from the people for the sake of obtaining 
exorbitant usury. 

"The laboring class were a conglomerated lot. 
Their ranks were replenished from all breeds, colors 
and kinds. The honest toilers were the salt of the 
earth, and when they marched to battle they al- 
ways won, but then, there were the extremes: on 
one hand were the business class, whose hours of 



INHABITANTS OF A STRANGE IVORLD 151 

toil consumed the whole round of the day, except 
when they ate and slept, and often in their dreams 
they were figuring out some gain or worrying over 
some loss. The others were the unworthy, who 
proudly boasted of their affinity to the laboring 
fraternity, while the truth of the matter was they 
were too lazy to work or keep their persons clean, 

"They were drones, and had no use for the 
prosperous ones, except when the wave of hard 
times spread its blue mantle over the land, then 
they would accept soup. 

"An immense piety prevailed throughout the 
land, and many able-bodied men and women spent 
their lives in teaching others what they did not 
know themselves. This piety, as a whole, was the 
foundation of all the good laws and principles 
which the world contained. It embodied all good 
works: asylums for the aged and orphans; schools 
for the children; and in many other ways seemed 
to be a source of happiness to the people. But 
it had its extremes which were so obnoxious as to 
cause many worthy ones to turn from the faith in 
disgust; one extreme, were those who lived within 
the fold as a cloak for their misdoings. Under the 
disguise of love and goodness they were enabled to 
take advantage of the unsuspecting, who would 



152 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

naturally place the blame on the society, when it 
belonged to the individual; the others, of which 
there were many, were those whose mind ran to 
doctrine instead of good works. 

"This class was a dangerous element. They held 
radical views on the state of the soul after death, 
and whoever disputed their rights to enforce their 
theories, was counted as fit to neither live nor die. 
This caused dissension in the society, disrupting 
it, breaking it to fragments. But each fragment 
formed a new sect all at enmity against each other; 
each one claiming that its views were right and all 
others were wrong. Being unable to find evidence 
to substantiate the theories which they had set up, 
they inflated their schemes with wind, and threat- 
ened death to those who dare prick the bubble. 

"If one of genius and greatness arose among them, 
who dared search for the great truths which lay 
within the reach of those people, he was at once 
branded as an enemy to the cause, and as the cus- 
tom might be, was either put to death, or ejected 
from the society. So it came to pass that piety 
acted as a mill-stone about the neck of many who 
would have been great. 

''The sporting fraternity took a hand in the 
affairs of this strange world, and if we would ac- 



INHABITANTS OF A STRANGE IVORLD 153 

cept the views of the pious radicals, we should find 
no extremes among them, for they were all bad. 
We did find them shockingly bad, for they labored 
but little, living mostly on what others had gained, 
but they took it not by force. They gambled on 
the result of animals matched against each other 
in deadly struggles, and men in friendly combat; in 
horse racing and many games of chance. They 
gambled on the results of the products of the fields, 
while it was yet ungrown. This was done on a 
large scale; traps were laid which caught many 
of the intelligent, causing them to commit suicide 
and leave their families in ruin; besides, they built 
immense warehouses where they stored the grain 
which the people needed to eat, causing famine 
and distress. Their field of gain was among those 
who were inexperienced and simple enough to 
catch at the bait which they threw out. 

"Living lives of idleness, their hands found mis- 
chief, and disorderly conduct was often the result of 
their high-go performances. But we were surprised 
to learn that cruel murders and inhuman treat- 
ment did not belong entirely to this class. In fact 
the percentage, if any, was very little more than 
among the pious, and their record of the past was 
never so dark as that of their accusers. Many 



154 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

of the weaker sex were fair specimens of loving 
kindness, who would give their last mite to relieve 
the unfortunate. But they were on the downward 
path, and the avenues of escape seemed to be cut 
off; even though they would return they could not, 
and I wondered if God, in his tender mercy, in 
making up his jewels might not find many a Magda- 
lene whose stain was on the outer garment only. 

"Among the great mass of living, loving and 
thinking human beings we found a few, just a few 
who were not satisfied to eat of the fruits of the 
earth, and say it is good; not satisfied to inhale 
the balmy breeze wafted over crystal waters, bring- 
ing sweet perfumes from the fragrant meadows 
dewy hillsides and blooming vales, saying it is 
lovely; not satisfied to listen to the warble of the 
forest songsters, or the simple song of the loving 
mother, v/hose heavenly strains lull the little coo- 
ing babe to sweet rest, that rest which feels not 
the noiseless wave of anxiety which sweeps along 
with coming years; saying it is beautiful. 

"But they ask the question, 'From whence came 
all of this glory .^' 

"In the early morning of human existence these 
queer people began to trace back from results to 
causes, and although human skill has not yet land- 



ti^HABITANTS OF A STRANGE IVORLb 155 

ed at the nearest goal, still their discoveries were 
wonderful. 

"Each generation as they explored made marks 
that the coming ones might begin where they had 
left off. In this way they had measured the length 
of the rivers and the width of the lakes; heights of 
the mountains, and depths of the seas. They had 
thrown a girdle around the earth, and strange to 
say, had passed an imaginary line through the cen- 
ter which gave the distance more exact than the 
real one which encircled its surface. 

"In some mysterious way they had reached out 
to the moon, sun, planets and far-away stars, and 
could tell their approximate distances. They had 
erected a huge pair of scales, whereby they had 
weighed the mountains, the seas and the world. 
Then the moon was rolled on, the sun, the planets, 
and, incredible as it may seem, those far-off distant 
worlds which they had discovered had been bal- 
anced on the mighty beam and their density 
learned. 

"They had caught the motion of the earth and 
other heavenly bodies, and found their movement 
so exact that they knew just where a planet was 
one thousand years ago or would be one thousand 
years to come. But strangest of all, they pointed 



156 EIGHT DAYS OUT 

to the far-off star called Sirius, and proved that it 
was traveling from us at the rate of about twelve 
thousand miles a minute, but at that rate it would 
not get out of sight in thousands of years. 

"Such is the immensity of eternal space and the 
enormity of unknown time that the human intellect 
cannot conceive the faintest glimmer, and yet 
these things are true," said the professor, "and if 
you wish to see the eccentric people of that strange 
world look at each other, for it is our own world 
which we were sent on the heavenly voyage to ex- 
plore." 

We looked at each other queerly, undecided which 
to do, laugh or cry, for we realized that we had 
been sold, and yet the imaginary had been so 
blended with the real that no intelligent person 
could pass it as a joke. 

Just then we were aroused from our revery by 
the hollow sound of the steamer's whistle, and we 
hastened to look out over the star-lit waters, upon 
the seemingly low border lands of Illinois. 

As we approached the dark border we discov- 
ered lights, apparently placed along the shore, but 
as we came nearer we could discover that some 
of the lights were higher than others, and soon be- 
gan to discern the towering edifices of the great 
city of Chicago. 



INHABITAhlTS OF A STRANGE WORLD 157 

It was not yet dawn and the inhabitants were 
asleep. , Sickness and anxiety barred the angel of 
rest from a few homes, and the night laborer and 
watchman stolidly welcomed each new hour. But 
before us more than two million ever watchful 
souls silently hovered, each over its own animate 
body while it rested preparatory for the days cam- 
paign, in which they would hardly stop to think 
that each day's record must remain as written; 
that every cause, good or bad, has its merited re- 
sults; that the journal of life is a small book writ- 
ten by the owner; closed at death's evening and 
opened in life's morning, as evidence for or against; 
and that he or she who hurls the poisoned arrow 
out upon its apparently endless voyage, would some 
day be surprised to learn that by God's universal 
law of justice it will return again as an unwelcome 
guest to justly claim the right of inheritance. 



THE END 



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